AMERICAN 
ANNIVERSARIES 

EVERY    DAY 
IN   THE   YEAR 

PHILIP    ROBERT    DILLON 


AMERICAN 
ANNIVERSARIES 


EVERY  DAY  IN  THE  YEAR 

Presenting    Seven   Hundred   and    Fifty   Events  in 

United  States  History,  from  the  Discovery 

of  America  to  the  Present  Day 

BY 
PHILIP    ROBERT    DILLON 


THE  PHILIP  R.  DILLON  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK 


Dedicated  to  the  Journalists  of  The  United  States 

who  Formulate,  Primordially,  the  Essential 

Material  for  the  Web  of 

American  History 


COPYRIGHT,  1918,  BY  PHILIP  ROBERT  DILLON 


FOREWORD 

By   WILLIAM    RABENORT,    PH.  D.    (COLUMBIA 
UNIVERSITY) 

Author  of  "Rabenort's  Geography" 

TO  find  an  unexplored  region  in  the  realm  of  refer 
ence  books  is  an  unwonted  achievement.  Yet  that 
is  what  the  writer  of  the  following  pages  seems  to 
have  done.  Makers  of  almanacs  and  compilers  of  calen 
dars  have  indeed  made  short  excursions  into  the  domain 
of  American  Anniversaries  but  their  contributions  are 
obvious  and  fragmentary  to  the  point  of  tantalization. 

In  this  volume  the  leading  events  of  American  his 
tory  are  treated  comprehensively  and  with  a  degree  of 
scholarship  that  deserves  to  be  called  scientific.  The 
material  has  been  gathered  during  years  of  research ;  the 
selections  have  been  made  judiciously,  with  a  discrimi 
nation  that  is  as  evident  from  the  omissions  as  from  what 
is  included.  Difference  of  opinion  there  may  be  as  to  the 
proportionate  emphasis  laid  upon  the  several  events  and 
to  the  comparative  space  allotted  to  each.  But  few  if 
any  readers  will  quarrel  with  the  author's  predilection 
for  the  dramatic  and  romantic  aspects  of  history  nor  with 
his  patriotic  purpose  as  manifest  throughout  the  book. 
As  to  the  style,  which  maintains  the  best  traditions  of 
American  literature  as  developed  in  the  field  of  jour 
nalism  there  would  seem  to  be  no  question  as  to  its  sober 
eloquence  nor  its  adequate  enthusiasm  where  the  subject 
warrants  it.  The  simplicity  of  the  scheme  of  classifica 
tion  approaches  a  stroke  of  genius  and  with  the  system  of 
cross  references  provided  by  the  index  makes  the  con 
tents  of  the  book  readily  available. 

The  need  for  such  a  book  is  undeniable.  The  occa 
sional  speaker  in  the  pulpit  and  upon  the  platform;  the 
orator  of  the  day;  as  well  as  those  whose  voices  are  heard 
through  the  daily  press  will  alike  welcome  a  handy 
volume  that  reminds  them  from  day  to  day  of  the  su 
preme  moments  in  American  history.  The  student  who 


has  read  the  history  of  the  United  States  chronologically 
will  here  have  an  opportunity  to  review  the  subject  in  a 
new  order,  with  new  relations  and  from  a  fresh  point  of 
view.  The  fact  made  apparent  in  this  book  that  every 
day  is  an  anniversary  often  of  several  events  of  contend 
ing  importance  may  well  check  our  over-readiness  to 
declare  a  holiday  upon  any  and  every  occasion.  Indeed, 
so  widespread  is  the  field  of  usefulness  that  spreads 
before  such  a  book  as  this  that  one  hesitates  to  set  limits 
upon  it. 

The  care  of  the  author  to  clear  up  moot  questions 
and  obscure  incidents  is  shown  throughout  the  book. 
How  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  signed ;  who 
actually  said,  "Millions  for  defense  but  not  a  cent  for 
tribute!"  to  mention  but  two  and  at  random.  Equally 
worthy  of  note  are  the  pains  taken  to  bring  the  annals 
up  to  date:  President  Wilson's  phrase,  "Peace  without 
Victory";  and  the  authoritative  handling  of  the  cele 
bration  of  the  first  Catholic  mass  in  America  are  but  two 
of  countless  cases  in  point. 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  took  delight  in  matching  his 
life  with  that  of  the  lexicographer  Samuel  Johnson  who 
lived  exactly  a  century  before  the  genial  Autocrat  of  the 
Breakfast  Table.  "American  Anniversaries"  enables  the 
reader  to  look  backward  through  the  vista  of  the  years 
and  from  this  catalog  of  our  national  treasure  in  men  and 
events  to  appraise  anew  the  glory  of  our  country's  career. 

WILLIAM  RABENORT. 
New  York,  June  1,  1918. 

NOTE 

The  various  standard  authorities  on  United  States 
History  have  not  fully  agreed  upon  dates  and  other  statis 
tical  details  of  a  considerable  number  of  events.  The 
dates  and  other  statistics  given  in  this  volume  are  the 
consequents  of  painstaking  research.  Corrections,  or 
any  authoritative  information  intended  to  eliminate  dis 
crepancies  and  fix  details  with  permanent  accuracy,  will 
be  received  -with  gratitude  by 

THE  AUTHOR. 


Aug. 
Aug. 
Aug. 


PRINCIPAL  PERMANENT  DATES  OF  THE  GREAT  WAR 

Year  1914 

June  28 — Archduke  Ferdinand,  heir  to  the  Austrian  throne,  was 

assassinated  at  Serajevo  in  Serbia. 
July  23 — Austria  sent  ultimatum  to  Serbia. 
July  28 — Austria  declared  war  on  Serbia. 

Aug.     1 — Germany    declared   war   on    Russia   and    the    next    day 
invaded    Luxemburg,   an    act    of    war    against    France. 
3 — German  army  invaded  Belgium. 
4 — Great  Britain  declared  war  on  Germany. 
5 — President  Wilson  issued  a  proclamation  of  neutrality 

of  the  United  States. 
Sept.    6,    7,  8  and  9 — Battle  of  the  Marne,  a  French  victory  re 
sulting    in    the    stopping    of    the    German    invasion    of 
France  and  the  retreat  of  the   Germans  to  the   River 
Aisne   in   France. 

Nov.     5 — Great  Britain  and  France  declared  war  on  Turkey. 
Dec.   24 — First  German  air  raid  on  England  by  Zeppelin  airships. 

Year  1915 

May     7 — Sinking  of  the  Litsitania. 
May   23— Italy  declared  war  on  Austria. 

Oct.    11 — Bulgaria   as    an   ally    of    the    Central    Powers    invaded 
Serbia. 

Year  1916 


ERRATA 


should   be 


Page  9,  eleventh  line-"eight  ye; 
"eighteen  months''. 

Page  30  (WaShington)-"Appointed  Commander- 
in-chief"  should  read  "Assumed  command 

23th,    Capture   of   Agumaldo) 


should  read  "year  1901". 
pa2e  H8-(July  1st,  Battle  of  Gettysburg)  shouk 
Tad  "ChickLauga,  eleven  weeks  after  Gettys- 

burg." 
T>         s39-(Dec   17th  first  airplane  flight  carrying 

a  man):    "Willard"    should    be    Wilbur,    and 

"Wilbur"  should  be  Orville. 
Index:-«Germany,  declaration  of  war  against 

68"  should  be  (page)  65. 


atening  to  break 
>rmany  modified 

i    the    same    day 
Powers. 


following  day, 
every  available 
nes)  in  waters 
aly  and  in  the 

relations   with 

ermany. 

e. 

stria. 


tish  in  France 
•.ommander-in- 
British  front 


iu    me   /\isne  and    the    last   great    drive   toward    P 
was    begun. 


has  read  the  history  of  the  United  States  chronologically 
will  here  have  an  opportunity  to  review  the  subject  in  a 
new  order,  with  new  relations  and  from  a  fresh  point  of 
view.  The  fact  made  apparent  in  this  book  that  every 
day  is  an  anniversary  often  of  several  events  of  contend 
ing  importance  may  well  check  our  over-readiness  to 
declare  a  holiday  upon  any  and  every  occasion.  Indeed, 
so  widespread  is  the  field  of  usefulness  that  spreads 
before  such  a  book  as  this  that  one  hesitates  to  set  limits 
upon  it. 

The  care  of  the  author  to  clear  up  moot  questions 
and  obscure  incidents  is  shown  throughout  the  book. 
How  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  signed ;  who 
actually  said,  "Millions  for  defense  but  not  a  cent  for 
tribute!"  to  mention  but  two  and  at  random.  Equally 
worthy  of  note  are  the  pains  taken  to  bring  the  annals 
up  to  date:  President  Wilson's  phrase,  "Peace  without 
Victory" ;  and  the  authoritative  handling  of  the  cele 
bration  of  the  first  Catholic  mass  in  America  are  but  two 
of  countless  cases  in  point. 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  took  delight  in  matching  his 
life  with  that 
lived  exactly 
Breakfast  Ta 
reader  to  loo 
and  from  this 
events  to  app 

New  Yo 


The  var 
History  have 
tical  details 
dates  and  ot 
consequents 
any  authorit 
crepancies  ai 

be  received  ••• -        

THE  AUTHOR. 


PRINCIPAL  PERMANENT  DATES  OF  THE  GREAT  WAR 

Year   1914 

June  28 — Archduke  Ferdinand,  heir  to  the  Austrian  throne,  was 
assassinated  at  Serajevo  in  Serbia. 

July    23 — Austria  sent  ultimatum  to  Serbia. 

July    28 — Austria  declared  war  on  Serbia. 

Aug.  1 — Germany  declared  war  on  Russia  and  the  next  day 
invaded  Luxemburg,  an  act  of  war  against  France. 

Aug.     3 — German  army  invaded  Belgium. 

Aug.     4 — Great  Britain  declared  war  on  Germany. 

Aug.  5 — President  Wilson  issued  a  proclamation  of  neutrality 
of  the  United  States. 

Sept.  6,  7,  8  and  9 — Battle  of  the  Marne,  a  French  victory  re 
sulting  in  the  stopping  of  the  German  invasion  of 
France  and  the  retreat  of  the  Germans  to  the  River 
Aisne  in  France. 

Nov.     5 — Great  Britain  and  France  declared  war  on  Turkey. 

Dec.   24 — First  German  air  raid  on  England  by  Zeppelin  airships. 

Year  1915 

May     7 — Sinking  of  the  Lusitania. 
May   23— Italy  declared  war  on  Austria. 

Oct.  11 — Bulgaria  as  an  ally  of  the  Central  Powers  invaded 
Serbia. 

Year  1916 

Apr.  19 — American  ultimatum  to  Germany  threatening  to  break 
off  relations  with  Germany  unless  Germany  modified 
her  submarine  policy. 

Aug.  27 — Italy  declared  war  on  Germany.  On  the  same  day 
Rumania  declared  war  on  the  Central  Powers. 

Year   1917 

Jan.  31 — Germany  declared  that  beginning  the  following  day, 
sea  traffic  would  be  stopped  with  every  available 
weapon  (obviously  meaning  submarines)  in  waters 
around  Great  Britain,  France  and  Italy  and  in  the 
Eastern  Mediterranean. 

Feb.  3 — The  United  States  severed  diplomatic  relations  with 
Germany. 

Apr.     6 — The  United   States  declared  war  on   Germany. 
June  26 — First  American  troops  landed  in  France. 
Dec.     7 — The  United  States  declared  war  on  Austria. 
Dec.     9 — Jerusalem  was  captured  by  the  British. 

Year   1918 

Mar.  21 — Great  German  offensive  against  the  British  in  France 
began. 

Apr.    14 — Gen.    Ferdinand    Foch    was    appointed    commander-in- 

chief  of  the  armies  of  the  Allies. 
May  27 — German   offensive  was   shifted   from   the   British   front 

to    the   Aisne  and    the    last   great    drive   toward    Paris 

was    begun. 


July  15 — Peak  of  the  German  offensive  in  France  was  stopped 
by  Americans  at  Chateau-Thierry.  This  was  the  turn 
of  the  tide. 

July  18 — Allies  offensive  against  Germans  in  France  began  in 
the  Soissons-Rheims  salient." 

Sept.  12 — American  army  began  its  first  distinctive  offensive 
and  in  three  days  drove  the  Germans  from  the  "Saint- 
Mihiel  salient,"  near  the  German  boundary  of  Lorraine. 

Sept.  30 — Bulgaria  surrendered. 

Oct.   30 — Turkey  surrendered. 

Nov.     3 — Austria   surrendered. 

Nov.  11 — Germany  signed  an  armistice  which  was  a  virtual 
surrender. 

The  armistice  of  November  11  which  actually  ended  the 
War  was  signed  near  Chateau  de  Francfort  in  the  department  of 
Aisne,  a  short  distance  from  the  northern  boundary  of  France, 
in  a  railway  car  upon  a  switch  near  the  Chateau,  which  railway 
car  was  the  temporary  headquarters  of  Marshal  Foch,  the  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  the  Allies.  The  armistice  agreement  under 
seven  headings,  and  in  thirty-seven  sections,  concluded  with 
the  following  (in  French): 

"This  armistice  has  been  signed  the  eleventh  of 
November,  Nineteen  Eighteen,  at  5  o'clock  a.  m.,  French 
time. 

F.   Foch, 
R.   E.   Wemyss, 
Erzberger, 
A.   Obendorff, 
Winterfeldt, 
Von   Salow." 

The  convention  provided  that  hostilities  should  cease  at 
1 1  a.  m., -French  time,  on  Nov.  11,  1918. 

The  signers,  more  definitely  identified,  were  as  follows: 

General  Ferdinand  Foch,  Generalissimo  of  the  armies  of  the 
Allies. 

Admiral  Sir  Roslyn  Wemyss,  First  Sea  Lord  of  the  British 
Admiralty. 

Matthias  Erzberger  and  Count  von  Obendorff,  representing 
the  German  civil  government. 

General  Winterfeldt  and  General  von  Salow,  representing 
the  German  armies  in  the  field. 

While  technically  the  armistice  was  an  agreement  by  conven 
tion  to  suspend  hostilities  for  thirty  days  with  the  option  to 
extend  the  period,  the  conditions  were  such  as  to  constitute  a 
practical  surrender  o^the  German  armies  and  navy  on  all  fronts. 

Approximately  8,000,000  lives  were  lost  in  the  war.  The 
total  cost  measured  by  war  appropriations  by  governments,  and 
recorded  losses  of  property,  was  about  $250,000,000,000. 

The  army  of  the  United  States  numbered  212,000  men  and 
officers  at  the  time  of  declaring  war.  At  the  end  it  numbered 
approximately  3,700,000  officers  and  men.  Of  these  approx 
imately  2,000,000  were  serving  in  France  on  the  date  of  the 
signing  of  the  armistice,  and  750,000  actually  took  part  in  the 
fighting. 


JANUARY 

January  1  (1752) — Betsy  Ross  (nee  Elizabeth  Gris- 
com)  born  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  year  1752;  died  at  Phila 
delphia,  Jan.  30,  1836.  She  was  the  widow  of  John  Ross 
who  was  the  nephew  of  Col.  George  Ross,  one  of  the 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  It  is  claimed 
by  her  descendants  that  she  was  engaged  by  Washington 
to  make  the  first  American  Flag  showing  stars  and 
stripes.  This  claim  was  first  formally  made  by  William 
J.  Candy  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Historical  Society  of 
Pennsylvania  in  the  year  1870.  (See  Flag  Day,  June  14, 
1777.) 

Jan.  1  (1863) — The  Emancipation  of  negro  slaves 
went  into  effect,  in  accordance  with  Lincoln's  proclama 
tion,  year  1863.  (See  Negro  Emancipation,  Sept.  22, 
1862.) 

Jan.  1  (1913) — Parcel  Post  system  was  inaugurated 
in  the  United  States,  year  1913. 

Jan.  2  (1776) — First  American  Flag  bearing  seven 
red  and  six  white  stripes  was  raised  over  headquarters  of 
the  American  army  commanded  by  Washington,  at  Cam 
bridge,  Mass.,  year  1776.  (See  Flag  Day,  June  14.) 

Jan.  2  (1863) — Battle  of  Murfreesboro  (or  Stone's 
River),  Tenn.,  year  1863.  This  date  is  the  anniversary, 
though  the  battle  lasted  from  Dec.  31  to  Jan.  3.  General 
William  S.  Rosecrans  (Union,  44,000  men)  vs.  General 
Braxton  Bragg  (Confederate,  45,000  men).  Union  loss 
9,500  killed  and  wounded ;  Confederate  loss  9,236.  The 
Confederates  captured  2,800  Union  men.  In  a  technical 
military  sense  it  was  a  drawn  battle.  In  its  after 
effects  it  was  a  Union  victory. 

Jan.  3  (1777)— Battle  of  Princeton,  N.  J.,  year  1777. 
General  Washington  (American,  3,000  men)  vs.  Colonel 
Mawhood  (British,  1,800  men).  American  loss  100; 
British  loss  430.  A  brilliant  American  victory. 

1 


-..AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Jan.  4  (1896) — Utah  was  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1896. 

Jan.  5  (1608) — Capt.  John  Smith  was  captured  by 
Indians  in  Virginia.  His  life  was  saved  by  the  Indian 
Princess  Pocahontas,  year  1608. 

Jan.  5  (1777)— "Battle  of  the  Kegs."  First  use  of 
floating  "mines"  in  American  military  history,  year  1777. 
The  kegs  were  loaded  with  explosives  and  set  afloat  in 
the  Delaware  river  with  intent  to  destroy  the  British 
fleet  at  Philadelphia.  The  attempt  failed ;  none  of  the 
mines  exploded. 

Jan.  6  (1838) — Alfred  Vail's  successful  telegraph  in 
strument  was  completed  arid  tested,  year  1838.  Three 
miles  of  wire  were  stretched  around  a  room  to  test.  It  is 
the  Vail  receiving  instrument,  and  not  the  Morse,  which 
has  survived  in  telegraphy. 

Jan.  6  (1912) — New  Mexico  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1912. 

FIRST  NATIONAL  ELECTION  IN  THE  UNITED 

STATES 

January  7,  1789 

The  Constitutional  convention,  after  the  necessary 
nine  States  had  approved  the  Constitution,  in  1788  re 
assembled  and  named  "the  second  Wednesday  in  Jan 
uary,  1789,"  as  the  day  upon  which  the  States  should  hold 
an  election  to  choose  "electors"  who  would  later  choose 
the  first  President  and  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States.  (See  April  6.) 

The  first  national  election  was  not  a  popular  pres 
idential  election  such  as  we  have  nowadays.  Only  Vir 
ginia,  Maryland,  Massachusetts  and  New  Jersey  voted 
directly  for  the  presidential  electors.  Seven  of  the  other 
States  had  provided  that  these  electors  should  be  chosen 
by  the  legislatures.  The  remaining  two,  Rhode  Island 
and  North  Carolina,  had  not  yet  accepted  the  Constitution 
and  did  not  at  all  provide  for  any  election.  The  cam- 

2 


JANUARY 

paign  preceding  the  election  was  a  contest  between  the 
"Federalists"  and  the  "Anti-Federalists,"  the  first  two 
political  parties  in  the  nation.  The  Federalist  leaders 
were  Alexander  Hamilton,  James  Madison  and  John  Jay. 
The  Anti-Federalist  leaders  were  Patrick  Henry,  Aaron 
Burr,  and  Governor  George  Clinton  of  New  York.  Both 
parties  favored  George  Washing-ton  for  President  and  the 
contest  was  waged  mainly  to  decide  who  should  be  Vice- 
President.  The  chief  candidates  for  Vice-President  were 
John  Adams  of  the  Federalists  and  George  Clinton  of  the 
Anti-Federalists.  There  was  a  deadlock  in  the  New 
York  legislature  between  the  Senate  and  the  Assembly 
of  that  State,  and  no  electors  were  chosen,  so  it  was  that 
New  York  did  not  participate  in  the  election  of  the  first 
President  of  the  United  States. 

The  men  of  Virginia,  Maryland  and  Georgia  at  this 
election  voted  "viva  voce,"  and  not  by  ballot.  They  were 
required  to  speak  aloud  the  names  of  the  candidates  they 
desired  to  vote  for,  and  the  clerks  of  election  recorded  the 
voters'  names  and  their  choices  in  the  polling  book.  In 
New  Jersey,  the  other  State  that  voted  directly,  secret 
ballots  were  used. 

The  Federalists  won  overwhelmingly.  April  6,  three 
months  later,  the  electors  met  at  New  York.  The  appor 
tionment  of  electoral  votes  by  States  was  as  follows  :  New 
Hampshire  5,  Massachusetts  10,  Connecticut  7,  New 
York  8,  New  Jersey  6,  Pennsylvania  10,  Delaware  3, 
Maryland  8,  Virginia  12,  North  Carolina  7,  South  Caro 
lina  7,  Georgia  5 — a  totai  of  88  votes.  Rhode  Island  had 
been  left  out  of  the  apportionment.  No  delegates  ap 
peared  from  New  York  and  North  Carolina.  Two  dele 
gates  of  Maryland  were  absent,  and  there  were  '  two 
vacancies  in  the  Virginia  delegation.  The  law  did  not 
provide  for  "alternates,"  so  the  total  number  of  electoral 
votes  cast  was  actually  69. 

Washington  received  the  unanimous  vote  for  Presi 
dent.  The  following  was  the  vote  for  Vice  President : 

3 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

John  Adams  of  Massachusetts  34;  John  Jay  of  New 
York  9;  Robert  H.  Harrison  of  Maryland  6;  John  Rut- 
ledge  of  South  Carolina  6;  John  Hancock  of  Massachu 
setts  4;  George  Clinton  of  New  York  3;  Samuel  Hunting- 
ton  of  Connecticut  2;  John  Milton  of  Georgia  2;  James 
Armstrong  of  Georgia  1 ;  Edward  Telfair  of  Georgia  1 ; 
Benjamin  Lincoln  of  Massachusetts  1. 

John  Adams  therefore  became  first  Vice  President  of 
the  United  States. 

Jan.  7  (1800)— Millard  Fillmore,  thirteenth  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  born  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y., 
year  1800;  died  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  March  8,  1874.  Was 
nominated  by  the  Whig  party  for  Vice  President  in  1848 
and  elected  with  Zachary  Taylor,  the  candidate  for  Presi 
dent.  On  the  death  of  President  Taylor,  he  was  inaugur 
ated  President,  July  10,  1850,  and  served  2  years,  7  months 
and  24  days.  The  chief  events  of  his  administration  w*ere 
the  passage  of  Henry  Clay's  "Omnibus  Bill"  (intended  to 
settle  the  Slavery  Question)  in  the  year  1850,  the  settle 
ment  of  the  boundary  between  Texas  and  Mexico,  the 
second  invasion  of  Cuba  by  Lopez,  and  the  reduction  of 
letter  postage  to  2  cents. 

Jan.  7  (1861) — Convention  of  seven  seceding  states 
met  at  Jackson,  Miss.  First  flag  of  the  Confederacy,  col 
loquially  called  "the  Bonnie  Blue  Flag,"  was  unfurled, 
year  1861. 

Jan.  8  (1790) — First  annual  Presidential  message, 
delivered  in  a  spoken  address  by  President  Washington 
to  Congress,  in  New  York,  year  1790. 

Jan.  8  (1815)— Battle  of  New  Orleans,  year  1815. 
Gen.  Andrew  Jackson  (6,000  Americans)  vs.  Gen.  Paken- 
ham  (10,000  British).  Overwhelming  American  victory. 
American  loss  8  killed  and  13  wounded.  British  loss  700 
killed,  1,400  wounded,  500  prisoners.  (See  March  15, 
Birthday  of  Andrew  Jackson.) 

Jan.  9  (1861)— Steamship  Star  of  the  West  sent  by 
the  Federal  government  from  New  York  with  supplies 

4 


JANUARY 

and  re-enforcements  for  Fort  Sumter  in  Charleston  har 
bor,  was  fired  upon  by  Confederate  batteries  at  Char 
leston,  and  obliged  to  turn  back  to  New  York,  year  1861. 
This  was  actually  the  first  military  firing  of  the  Civil 
War. 

Jan.  10  (1737)— Ethan  Allen  born  at  Litchfield, 
Conn.,  year  1737;  died  at  Burlington,  Vt,  in  1789.  He 
originated  the  usage  of  the  word  "continental"  in  Ameri 
can  history.  (See  "Opening  of  the  First  Continental  Con 
gress,"  Sept.  5,  1774.) 

Jan.  10  (1870) — The  Standard  Oil  Company  was  in 
corporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  at  Cleve 
land,  year  1870.  The  incorporators  were  John  D.  Rocke 
feller,  Henry  M.  Flagler,  Samuel  Andrews  and  Stephen 
V.  Harkness  (all  of  Cleveland),  and  William  Rockefeller 
of  New  York  (a  brother  of  John  D.  Rockefeller).  The 
capital  stock  was  named  as  $1,000,000.  John  D.  Rocke 
feller  was  elected  president.  He  was  the  creative  force 
and  ruling  power  in  all  the  immense  development  during 
the  first  thirty  years  of  the  company's  existence. 

Jan.  10  (1888) — Harvey  process  for  manufacturing 
steel  armor  plate  patented,  year  1888. 

Jan.  11  (1757) — Alexander  Hamilton,  statesman  and 
soldier,  born  in  the  island  of  Nevis,  West  Indies,  year 
1757;  died  at  New  York,  July  12,  1804.  One  of  the  most 
brilliant  statesmen  of  the  Western  Continent.  He  settled 
in  New  York  in  1772  and  immediately  began  his  public 
career  as  a  writer  of  pamphlets  dealing  with  the  great 
political  issues  which  culminated  in  the  Revolution.  He 
was  commissioned  a  captain  in  the  Continental  army  in 
1776  and  immediately  attracted  the  attention  of  Wash 
ington,  who  appointed  him  a  member  of  his  staff  in  1777. 
At  this  time  began  the  rivalry  with  Aaron  Burr  which 
lasted  until  his  death.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Consti 
tutional  Convention  of  1787  and  was  a  dominating  in 
fluence,  chiefly  through  a  series  of  essays  which  he  wrote 
—later  entitled  "The  Federalist,"  published  in  the  news- 

5 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

paper  The  Independent  Journal  of  New  York,  running 
from  October  1787  to  April  1788.  Washington  appointed 
him  the  first  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  President 
Adams  appointed  him  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  in 
1799.  His  rivalry  with  Burr  reached  the  climax  when 
Burr  challenged  him  to  a  duel.  On  July  11,  1804,  the 
duel  was  fought  at  Weehawken,  N.  J.,  beside  the  Hudson 
River.  Hamilton  fell  mortally  wounded  and  died  next 
day.  His  body  was  buried  in  Trinity  Churchyard,  New 
York,  where  many  pause  each  day  to  contemplate  the 
monument  over  his  grave. 

Jan.  11  (1864) — The  13th  Amendment  to  the  Con 
stitution,  abolishing  slavery  in  the  United  States,  was 
offered  in  the  United  States  Senate  by  Senator  Brooks  of 
Missouri,  year  1864. 

Jan.  12  (1737) — John  Hancock  born  at  Quincy, 
Mass.,  year  1737;  died  at  Quincy,  Oct  8,  1793.  He  was 
president  of  the  First  Continental  Congress. 

Jan.  13  (1785) — Samuel  Woodworth,  poet,  born  at 
Scituate,  Mass.,  year  1785;  died  Dec.  9,  1842.  Author  of 
"The  Old  Oaken  Bucket." 

ADOPTION  OF  THE  FIRST  WRITTEN  CONSTI 
TUTION  KNOWN  TO  HISTORY 

January  14,  1639 

The  first  written  constitution  framed  by  a  people  for 
the  government  of  themselves,  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
was  adopted  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  on  Jan.  14,  1639.  This 
first  formal  republic  was  made  up  of  the  people  of  the 
three  earliest  towns  in  the  Connecticut  River  valley,  Hart 
ford,  Windsor  and  Wethersfield.  The  preamble  was  as 

follows : 

Forasmuch  as  it  hath  pleased  the  Almighty 

God  by  the  wise  disposition  of  His  divine  provi 
dence  so  to  Order  and  dispose  of  things  that  we 
the  Inhabitants  and  residents  of  Windsor,  Hart 
ford  and  Wethersfield  are  now  cohabiting  and 
dwelling  in  and  upon  the  River  of  Connecticut 
6 


JANUARY 

and   the    Lands   thereunto   adjoining:      And   well 
knowing  where  a  people  are  gathered  together  the 
word  of  God  requires  that  to  mayntayne  the  peace 
and  union  of  such  people  there  should  be  an  or 
derly  and  decent  Government  established,  accord 
ing  to  God,  to  order  and  dispose  of  the  affayres  of 
the  people  at  all  seasons  as  occation  shall  require; 
does  therefore  assotiate  and  conjoin  ourselves  to 
be  as  one  Publike  State  of  Commonwealth;  and 
do,  for  our  selves  and  our  Successors  and  such  as 
shall   be   adjoined   to   us  att   any  tyme   hereafter, 
enter    into    Combination    and    Confederation    to- 
gather,  to  mayntayne  and  presearve  the  liberty  and 
purity  of  the  gospell  of  our  Lord  Jesus  which  we 
now  profess,  as  also  the  disciplyne  of  the  Churches, 
which  according  to  the  truth  of  the  said  gospell  is 
now  practised  amongst  us.     As  also  in  our  Civil 
Affaires  to  be  guided  and  governed  according  to 
such  Lawes,  Rules,  Orders  and  decrees  as  shall  be 
made,  ordered  and  decreed,  as  followeth :" 
Then  follow  eleven  sections,  clearly  instituting  the 
three   great   coordinate   branches   of  republican   govern 
ment,  the  executive,  the  legislative  and  the  judicial.     In 
general,  this  constitution  was  a  model  in  the  minds  of 
those  who  framed  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
one  hundred  and  fifty  years  later. 

Jan.  14  (1801)— The  first  Capitol  buildings  at  Wash 
ington  burned,  year  1801. 

Jan.  15  ( 1 83 l)-r- First  locomotive  for  actual  use  built 
in  the  United  States  was  completed  at  Peter  Cooper's 
iron  works  near  Baltimore,  Md.,  year  1831.  On  first  trial, 
it  drew  an  open  car  in  which  were  seated  the  directors  of 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Ry.  Co.,  from  Baltimore  to  Elli- 
cott's  Mills,  at  the  rate  of  18  miles  an  hour.  It  was  named 
"Best  Friend." 

Jan.  15  (1865)— Fort  Fisher  (N.  C.)  captured  by 
Federals,  year  1865.  Union  victory :  Gen.  Alfred  H.  Terry 

7 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

(Union  land  and  naval  force)  vs.  Gen.  Whiting  (Con 
federate  garrison  of  2,300  men). 

Jan.  16  (1826) — National  Academy  of  Design  or 
ganized  at  New  York,  year  1826. 

Jan.  16  (1918) — Proclamation  issued  by  Dr.  Harry 
A.  Garfield,  head  of  the  Fuel  Administration  of  the  Gov 
ernment  and  indorsed  by  President  Wilson,  providing 
that  on  Jan.  18,  19,  20,  21  and  22  of  year  1918,  and  on  each 
and  every  Monday  beginning  Jan.  28  and  continuing  up 
to  and  including  March  25,  1918,  "no  manufacturing 
plant  shall  burn  fuel  or  use  power  derived  from  fuel  for 
any  purpose  whatever,"  excepting  certain  classes  of 
plants  engaged  in  producing  and  selling  necessary  food 
stuffs,  and  others  that  had  to  be  operated  continuously. 
The  proclamation,  which  came  without  warning,  was  a 
tremendous  sensation  in  the  nation — more  so  than  the 
declaration  of  war  against  Germany.  It  was  caused  by  a 
threatened  coal  famine,  consequent  upon  the  extraordi 
narily  cold  and  stormy  winter  and  the  so-called  "break 
down"  of  the  railroads,  which,  largely  because  of  the 
German"  war,  were  unable  to  distribute  normally  the  nec 
essary  coal  from  the  mines.  A  great  outcry  against  Gar- 
field  was  raised,  but  the  people  obeyed  loyally  the  order, 
and  observed  the  dates  named  as  national  holidays  up  to 
and  including  Monday,  Feb.  11,  when,  mild  weather  hav 
ing  come,  the  order  was  revoked. 

BIRTHDAY  OF  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN 
January  17,  1706 

Benjamin  Franklin  was  born  at  Boston,  on  Jan.  17, 
1706;  died  at  Philadelphia  on  April  17,  1790,  aged  eighty- 
four  years.  His  body  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  of 
Christ  Church,  Philadelphia,  and  there  his  dust  is  now 
lying. 

His  father  was  a  maker  of  tallow  candles  and  soap. 
His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Peter  Folger,  the  Quaker 
poet  of  Nantucket  Island.  He  was  sent  to  school  at  the 


JANUARY 

age  of  eight.  When  he  was  ten,  he  was  taken  from 
school  and  set  to  work  in  his  father's  candle  and  soap 
factory.  He  never  attended  again  a  regular  school,  yet  he 
became  one  of  the  best  educated  men  in  all  the  world's 
history.  Naturally,  he  did  not  like  soap  boiling,  so  he 
was  apprenticed  to  his  brother  to  learn  the  trade  of 
printer,  which  was  to  his  liking,  and  eventually  he  be 
came  the  most  famous  printer  in  America.  He  ran  away 
from  his  apprenticeship  when  he  was  seventeen  and  went 
to  Philadelphia  where  he  opened  a  printing  office.  Later 
he  went  to  London,  England,  and  remained  there  eight 
years  as  a  journeyman  printer,  returning  to  Philadelphia 
in  1726.  From  this  time,  he  steadily  rose  as  a  printer  and 
publisher.  His  public  career  began  in  1736  when  he  was 
made  clerk  of  the  Pennsylvania  Assembly.  Next  year 
he  became  postmaster  of  Philadelphia.  During  the  suc 
ceeding  twenty  years,  aside  from  his  duties  as  printer 
and  publisher  and  public  official,  he  devoted  himself  to 
scientific  investigation,  especially  in  electricity,  with  a 
success  that  astonished  the  world  of  scholars  and  scien 
tists.  In  1762  the  Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge 
conferred  on  htm  the  degree  of  LL.D.  and  thereafter  he 
was  called  "Doctor"  Franklin.  He  was  the  first  to 
propose  a  union  of  the  Colonies,  in  1755.  When  the 
Stamp  Act  controversy  arose  in  1765,  he  was  sent  by  the 
colonies  of  Pennsylvania,  Massachusetts,  Georgia  and 
New  Jersey  to  represent  them  in  London.  He  remained 
in  Europe  ten  years,  the  most  striking  American  figure 
on  that  continent.  After  Independence  was  declared,  he 
was  sent  as  ambassador  to  France.  His  success  in  win 
ning  the  friendship  and  admiration  of  the  French  court 
and  people  was  amazing.  Chiefly  through  him  the  alli 
ance  with  France  was  consummated  in  1778.  He  re 
mained  in  France  nine  years.  After  the  Revolutionary 
War  he  returned  home.  In  1786  he  was  elected  governor 
of  Pennsylvania.  He  was  a  leading  member  of  the  con 
vention  that  framed  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States. 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

His  biographers  do  not  claim  for  him  the  attribute 
of  genius,  but  he  is  the  supreme  man  of  talent  in  Ameri 
can  history.  His  life  was  literally  an  open  book,  for  he 
wrote  in  his  famous  "autobiography"  of  the  intimate 
things  of  his  life,  of  his  weaknesses  and  errors.  It  is 
probably  because  of  this  frankness  that  he  is  not  one  of 
the  national  "heroes"  like  Washington,  Jefferson,  Lin 
coln,  men  who  were  less  talented  than  he,  but  who  carried 
the  atmosphere  of  the  mystic,  and  this  is  the  first  requisite 
of  an  enduring  character  as  "hero."  Franklin  is  the  man 
of  a  hundred  talents,  a  built-up  man — if  that  description 
conveys  the  idea  of  difference  from  the  man  of  genius 
who  springs  forth  in  a  fullness,  or  at  least  in  a  measure  of 
extraordinary  power,  with  apparently  little  experience  or 
training.  He  was  a  man  of  great  talent  in  the  fields  of 
abstract  philosophy,  concrete  government,  sociology,  and 
material  science/  and  these  fields  envelop  nearly  all  of 
organized  human  society. 

Jan.  17  (1781)— Battle  of  The  Cowpens  (S.  C),  year 
1781;  American  victory;  Gen.  Daniel  Morgan  (1,000 
Americans)  vs.  Col.  Tarleton  (1,100  British).  American 
loss  72  killed  and  wounded;  British  loss  300  killed  and 
wounded,  450  prisoners. 

Jan.  18  (1782) — Daniel  Webster  born  at  Salisbury, 
N.  H.,  year  1782;  died  at  Marshfield,  Mass.,  Oct.  24,  1852. 
The  best  known  orator  in  American  history.  He  and 
Henry  Clay  were  the  leaders  of  the  Whig  Party  through 
out  its  national  existence,  from  1834  to  1853.  They  both 
died  in  1852  and  the  party  died  shortly  after. 

Jan.  18  (1892) — Modern  electric  trolley  system  pat 
ented  by  C.  J.  Van  de  Poele,  year  1892. 

BIRTHDAY  OF  ROBERT  E.  LEE 

January  19,  1807 

Robert  Edward  Lee,  the  chief  military  officer  of  the 
Confederate  States  of  America,  was  born  in  the  year 

10 


JANUARY 

1807,  in  the  family  mansion  of  the  Lees  on  the  Westmore 
land  hillside  of  Virginia  overlooking  the  Potomac.  His 
father  was  Henry  Lee,  famous  as  "Light  Horse  Harry" 
of  the  American  Revolution,  the  dashing  dragoon  and 
brillant  friend  of  Washington.  He  graduated  from  West 
Point  in  1829.  Two  years  later  he  married  Mary  A.  R. 
Custis,  the  great  granddaughter  of  Mrs.  Custis,  the 
second  wife  of  Washington.  He  served  with  distinction 
in  the  Mexican  War,  being  brevetted  colonel  for  gallan 
try  at  the  battle  of  Chapultepec.  His  regular  rank  was 
captain  at  the  end  of  that  war.  On  March  16,  1861,  less 
than  one  month  before  the  Civil  War  began,  he  was  pro 
moted  to  colonel  in  the  U.  S.  Army.  He  was,  at  the  time, 
looked  upon  as  the  ablest  engineer  in  the  army. 

Extraordinary  efforts  were  made  by  Northern  states 
men  and  army  officers  to  keep  Lee  on  the  Union  side. 
Postmaster  General  Blair,  apparently  acting  for  Presi 
dent  Lincoln,  immediately  after  the  bombardment  of 
Fort  Sumter,  offered  him  the  command  of  the  Union 
army  that  was  to  be  raised.  He  refused.  In  a  letter  to 
a  friend  he  wrote,  "Though  opposed  to  secession  and 
deprecating  war,  I  could  take  no  part  in  the  invasion  of 
the  Southern  States."  Shortly  after  this,  Virginia  joined 
the  seceding  States,  and  offered  Lee  the  command  of  the 
Virginia  troops  with  the  rank  of  major-general.  He  ac 
cepted.  At  first  he  was  only  an  aide  to  President  Davis, 
and  did  not  command  in  the  first  great  battle,  at  Bull 
Run.  It  was  almost  a  year  later  when  he  was  appointed 
to  command  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  the  main 
army  of  the  Confederacy.  He  continued  in  command  of 
this  army  until  he  surrendered  to  General  Grant  at  Ap- 
pomattox  on  April  9,  1865.  Though  he  was  the  foremost 
general  of  the  South,  he  was  never  the  general-in-chief 
of  the  Southern  armies  in  the  way  that  General  Grant 
was  general-in-chief  of  the  Northern  armies,  for  Presi 
dent  Davis  was  himself  a  military  man,  a  West  Point 
graduate,  and  the  actual  commander-in-chief. 

11 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

After  the  war,  General  Lee  quietly  retired  to  private 
life.  He  accepted  the  presidency  of  Washington  College 
at  Lexington,  Virginia — now  called  Washington  and 
Lee  University.  He  died  at  his  home  in  Lexington  on 
Oct.  12,  1870,  in  his  sixty-fourth  year.  His  body  was 
buried  beneath  the  chapel  of  the  University.  He  was 
marvellously  loved  and  respected  by  the  whole  people 
of  the  South.  As  a  military  commander,  his  only  rivals 
in  American  history  are  Washington,  Grant  and  "Stone 
wall"  Jackson.  He  revolutionized  modern  military 
strategy  by  originating  the  system  of  long  lines  of 
trenches  for  defense.  His  defense  of  Petersburg  and 
Richmond  had  been  studied  intensively  by  all  the  mili 
tary  schools  of  Europe  for  fifty  years  prior  to  the  great 
German  War. 

Jan.  19  (1809) — Edgar  Allen  Poe,  poet,  born  at 
Boston,  Mass.,  year  1809;  died  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  Oct.  7, 
1849.  His  best  known  poem,  "The  Raven,"  was  pub 
lished  in  1845. 

Jan.  20  (1734)— Robert  Morris  born,  year  1734  (in 
England),  died  at  Philadelphia  May  8,  1806.  He  was  the 
first  great  American  financier,  and  devoted  all  his  talents 
to  his  country's  cause  in  the  American  Revolution. 

Jan.  21  (1824)— "Stonewall"  Jackson,  soldier  (Gen. 
Thomas  J.  Jackson),  born  at  Clarksburg,  W.  Va.,  year 
1824;  shot  in  the  night  time  at  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  May  3,  1863,  by  his  own  men  who  fired  by  mistake ; 
died  near  Chancellorsville,  May  10,  1863.  He  is  uni 
versally  ranked  as  the  ablest  Confederate  commander, 
excepting  Robert  E.  Lee.  Some  military  authorities  say 
he  was  the  greatest  military  commander  without  excep 
tion  in  American  history.  (See  Battle  of  Bull  Run, 
July  21.) 

Jan.  22  (1895) — National  Association  of  Manufac 
turers  of  the  United  States  organized,  at  a  convention  in 
Cincinnati,  year  1895.  Thomas  P.  Egan  was  first  presi 
dent. 

12 


JANUARY 

Jan.  22  (1917) — President  Wilson,  addressing  the 
U.  S.  Senate,  year  1917,  spoke  these  words:  "The  states 
men  of  both  of  the  groups  of  nations  [Quadruple  Al 
liance  and  Entente  allies],  now  arrayed  against  one  an 
other,  have  said,  in  terms  that  could  not  be  misinter 
preted,  that  it  was  no  part  of  the  purpose  they  had  in 
mind  to  crush  their  antagonists.  But  the  implications 
of  these  assurances  may  not  be  equally  clear  to  all,  may 
not  be  the  same  on  both  sides  of  the  water.  I  think  it 
will  be  serviceable  if  I  attempt  to  set  forth  what  we  un 
derstand  them  to  be.  They  imply  first  of  all  that  it  must 
be  a  peace  without  victory."  The  phrase  "Peace  without 
Victory"  became  current  throughout  the  world. 

Jan.  23  (1845) — Act  passed  by  Congress  appointing 
the  first  Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  in  November  to 
be  election  day  for  members  of  Congress  and  Presi 
dential  electors,  year  1845. 

Jan.  23  (1909) — Steamship  Republic,  Atlantic  liner, 
was  rammed  and  sunk  by  the  steamship  Florida,  near 
Nantucket  Light  Ship,  year  1909.  The  Marconi  operator, 
Jack  Binns,  sent  out  the  call  "C.  Q.  D."  (the  code  signal 
then  used  in  calling  for  aid)  and  several  steamships 
quickly  answered  and  steamed  to  the  spot.  They  saved 
761  persons.  This  was  the  first  use  of  wireless  to  save 
lives  of  passengers  on  an  ocean  liner. 

Jan.  24  (1838)— Samuel  F.  B.  Morse  first  publicly 
exhibited  and  demonstrated  his  code  of  "dots  and 
dashes,"  now  known  as  the  Morse  alphabet  code,  at  New 
York  University,  New  York,  year  1838. 

Jan.  24  (1848) — Gold  discovered  in  California  by 
James  Wilson  Marshal  at  Culmua  on  the  American  river, 
year  1848.  Marshal  was  building  a  saw  mill  beside  the 
river  when  he  accidentally  made  the  discovery.  He 
profited  little,  and  died  penniless  in  1855. 

Jan.  25  (1787)— The  United  States  arsenal  at  Spring 
field,  Mass.,  was  attacked  by  the  "rebels"  in  Shay's  Re 
bellion,  year  1787. 

13 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Jan.  25  (1830)— Senator  Robert  Y.  Hayne  of  South 
Carolina,  in  a  tariff  debate  in  Congress,  delivered  a  speech 
on  State  rights  and  a  defense  of  "Nullification,"  year 
1830.  This  speech  is  famous  as  the  best  presentation  of 
the  affirmative  of  "State  Rights"  in  American  history. 

Jan.  26  (1830) — Senator  Daniel  Webster  of  Massa 
chusetts  delivered  his  greatest  speech,  on  the  Constitu 
tion  of  the  United  States  in  its  relation  to  "State  Rights," 
year  1830.  The  speech  was  a  reply  to  Senator  Hayne  of 
South  Carolina. 

Jan.  26  (1837)— Michigan  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1837. 

Jan.  26  (1869) — Patent  issued  to  Alexander  L.  Hoi- 
ley  for  "Converter"  for  making  Bessemer  steel,  the  first 
in  America,  year  1869. 

Jan.  27  (1785) — Charter  granted  to  the  University 
of  Georgia,  year  1785.  First  State  University  chartered, 
but  was  not  opened  to  students  until  1801. 

Jan.  27  (1880) — Patent  for  incandescent  lamp 
granted  to  Thomas  Alva  Edison,  year  1880. 

Jan.  28  (1855) — Panama  Railroad  completed  and 
first  train  ran  across  the  isthmus  from  ocean  to  ocean, 
year  1855. 

Jan.  29  (1843) — William  McKinley,  twenty-fifth 
President  of  the  United  States,  born  at  Niles,  Ohio,  year 
1843.  Nominated  for  President  by  the  Republican  party 
and  elected — electoral  vote  (45  States)  :  McKinley,  271 ; 
W.  J.  Bryan  (Democrat),  176.  Inaugurated  March  4, 
1897.  Renominated  and  re-elected — electoral  vote  (45 
States):  McKinley,  292;  W.  J.  Bryan  (Dem.),  155- 
second  inauguration  March  4,  1901.  The  Pan-American 
Exposition  was  opened  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  May  1,  1901 
and  remained  open  until  Nov.  1.  On  September  5,  Presi 
dent  McKinley  attended  the  exposition  and  delivered  to 

14 


JANUARY 

many  thousands  of  visitors  an  address  that  came  to  be 
regarded  as  the  greatest  speech  of  his  career,  in  which 
he  outlined  the  future  progressive  policies  of  the  nation. 
Next  day,  Friday,  September  6,  he  held  a  public  recep 
tion  in  the  Temple  of  Music  of  the  Exposition  and  shook 
hands  with  all  who  came.  In  the  reception  line  was  Leon 
Czolgosz,  a  so-called  Anarchist,  who  had  a  handkerchief 
wrapped  around  his  right  hand,  seemingly  to  protect  a 
wound,  but  in  reality  to  conceal  a  revolver  which  he  held. 
When  Czolgosz,  in  his  turn,  reached  the  President,  at  a 
distance  of  three  feet  he  fired  two  shots  to  assassinate 
Mr.  McKinley.  One  of  the  bullets  penetrated  the 
stomach  and  lodged  in  the  muscles  of  the  back,  and  from 
this  wound,  he  died,  on  Sept.  14,  at  the  home  of  John  G. 
Milburn  in  Buffalo.  His  last  words  were,  "It  is  God's 
way.  His  will  be  done,  not  ours."  He  was  buried  at 
Canton,  Ohio,  his  home  city.  His  murderer  was  tried, 
convicted  and  electrocuted  at  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  29, 
1901.  Aside  from  the  assassination,  President  McKinley 
will  have  a  prominent  place  in  American  history  because 
of  the  Spanish  War  which  was  waged  during  his  first 
administration ;  also  because  of  the  extraordinary  liking 
for  him  shown  by  the  great  mass  of  the  nation.  Perhaps 
he  was  the  most  popular  President  since  Washington. 
Shortly  after  his  death,  an  organization  was  formed  to 
perpetuate  his  memory.  It  was  planned  to  celebrate  his 
birthday,  each  year,  by  wearing  a  pink  carnation,  and  Jan 
uary  29  was  named  "Carnation  Day."  It  is  purely  an  un 
official  anniversary,  which  is  observed  quietly  by  many 
in  all  parts  of  the  country. 

The  chief  events  of  President  McKinley's  adminis 
tration  were  the  annexation  of  Hawaii  (1898),  the 
Spanish-American  War  and  the  acquiring  of  the  Philip 
pines,  Porto  Rico,  Wake  and  Guam  (1898),  the  expedi 
tion  under  Gen.  Chaffee  in  the  Boxer  Insurrection  in 
China  (1900),  and  the  Pan-American  Exposition  at  Buf 
falo  (1901). 

15 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Jan.  29  (1861) — Kansas  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1861. 

Jan.  29  (1861) — John  A.  Dix  was  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  in  President  Buchanan's  administration.  The 
U.  S.  Revenue  cutter  Robert  McClelland  was  at  New 
Orleans.  Dix  ordered  the  captain,  J.  G.  Breshwood,  to 
sail  north.  The  captain  refused  for  the  Civil  War  \vas 
seen  to  be  inevitable  and  the  Confederates  wished  to 
keep  the  ship.  Dix,  on  Jan.  29,  1861,  telegraphed  Lieu 
tenant  Caldwell  ordering  him  to  arrest  Breshford  and 
take  command  of  the  ship.  The  message  concluded  with 
the  famous  phrase,  "If  anyone  attempts  to  haul  down  the 
American  flag,  shoot  him  on  the  spot." 

Jan.  30  (1835) — Attempt  to  assassinate  President 
Jackson,  year  1835.  The  President,  accompanied  by 
members  of  his  cabinet,  and  surrounded  by  members  of 
Congress,  had  assisted  at  a  funeral  ceremony  in  honor  of 
a  deceased  congressman,  in  the  rotunda  of  the  Capitol  at 
Washington.  He  was  crossing  the  rotunda  on  his  way 
to  his  carriage,  when  a  man  named  Richard  Lawrence,  a 
house  painter,  stepped  toward  him,  and  at  a  distance  of 
eight  feet  leveled  a  pistol  at  him  and  snapped  the  trigger. 
The  cap  exploded  but  the  pistol  was  not  discharged.  The 
man  dropped  the  pistol  and  pulled  another;  that  also 
missed  fire  and  the  assassin  was  knocked  down  and  over 
powered.  He  was  tried  for  attempted  murder  in  April 
of  that  year  and  adjudged  insane.  He  stated  that  he  be 
lieved  the  President  had  ruined  the  country,  and  there 
fore  it -was  best  to  remove  him,  and  the  "powers  of 
Europe"  would  protect  him — Lawrence.  He  died  in  an 
asylum. 

Jan.  30  (1900) — Assassination  of  Governor  Goebel  of 
Kentucky,  year  1900. 

Jan.  31  (1830) — James  Gillespie  Blaine,  born  at  West 
Brownsville,  Pa.,  year  1830;  died  at  Washington,  D.  C, 

16 


JANUARY 

Jan.  27,  1893.  He  was  the  candidate  of  the  Republican 
party  for  President  in  1884;  was  defeated  by  Grover 
Cleveland,  candidate  of  the  Democratic  party.  The  elec 
tion  was  decided  by  the  electoral  vote  of  New  York  state, 
which  gave  a  plurality  of  1,074  votes  for  Cleveland  in  the 
popular  election.  This  political  campaign  has  a  curious 
interest  in  American  history  because  of  the  phrase 
"Rum,  Romanism  and  Rebellion"  which  became  familiar 
to  the  whole  nation  in  that  year.  Rev.  Samuel  D.  Bur- 
chard,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman  and  pastor  of  a  congre 
gation  in  New  York  city,  led  a  gathering  of  ministers  to 
Mr.  Elaine's  headquarters  in  New  York,  and,  addressing 
the  Republican  candidate,  said :  "We  are  Republicans, 
and  do  not  propose  to  leave  our  party  and  identify  our 
selves  with  those  whose  antecedents  have  been  rum,  Ro 
manism  and  rebellion."  Mr.  Elaine  did  not  protest 
against  this  expressed  sentiment  of  his  friend.  The 
Burchard  speech  was  seized  upon  by  the  Democratic 
party  and  alienated  thousands  of  Roman  Catholics  who 
had  been  friendly  to  Mr.  Elaine.  Politicians  generally 
assert  that  the  Burchard  speech  defeated  Elaine. 

Jan.  31  (1865) — Thirteenth  Amendment  to  the  Con 
stitution  adopted  by  Congress,  year  1865.  Its  ratification 
by  twenty-seven  states  was  announced  on  Dec.  18,  1865., 
The  Amendment  reads : 

"Section  1 — Neither  slavery  nor  involuntary 
servitude,  except  as  a  punishment  for  crime, 
whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted, 
shall  exist  within  the  United  States,  or  any  place 
subject  to  their  jurisdiction. 

"Section  2 — Congress  shall  have  power  to  en 
force  this  article  by  appropriate  legislation." 

Jan.  31  (1917) — U.  S.  government  received  a  note 
from  the  German  government  announcing  that,  on  the 
coming  Feb.  1,  "sea  traffic  will  be  stopped  with  every 

17 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

available  weapon  and  without  further  notice,"  in  "barred 
zones,"  around  Great  Britain,  France,  Italy  and  the 
Eastern  Mediterranean.  This  was  a  declaration  that 
Germany  would  begin  again  the  ruthless  submarine  war 
fare  against  England  and  France,  with  increase  of  what 
was  commonly  known  as  "frightfulness."  This  action  of 
the  German  government  directly  caused  the  diplomatic 
break  a  few  days  later. 


18 


FEBRUARY 

February  1  (1838) — Screw  propeller  for  steamships 
patented  by  its  inventor,  John  Ericsson,  year  1838: 
Ericsson  was  a  native  of  Sweden  who  came  to  America 
in  1839,  at  the  age  of  35  years.  He  lived  as  an  American 
until  his  death  in  1889.  His  most  famous  work  was  the 
designing  and  building  of  the  warship  Monitor.  (See 
Battle  of  the  Monitor  and  Merrimac,  March  9.) 

Feb.  2  (1819) — Treaty  with  Spain  signed,  by  which 
the  United  States  purchased  Florida  for  $5,000,000,  year 
1819. 

Feb.  2  (1848)— Treaty  of  Guadaloupe  Hidalgo 
signed  by  the  United  States  and  Mexico,  year  1848.  By 
the  terms  of  this  treaty,  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona 
and  California  were  formally  ceded  to  the  United  States 
upon  payment  of  about  $15,000,000. 

Feb.  3  (1811) — Horace  Greeley,  journalist,  born  at 
Amherst,  N.  H.,  year  1811;  died  at  Pleasantville,  N.  Y., 
Nov.  29,  1872.  He  was  a  Vermont  farmer's  son.  The 
family  was  very  poor.  The  farm  was  sold  to  pay  debts 
and  the  elder  Greeley  had  to  work  as  a  hired  man  for 
other  farmers.  Horace  Greeley  went  to  the  village  public 
school.  That  was  all  the  school  education  he  ever  had. 
Yet  he  grew  to  be  one  of  the  best  educated  men  in 
America.  He  became  an  apprentice  in  the  trade  of 
printer  when  he  was  fifteen  years  old.  He  founded  the 
New  York  Tribune  and  for  twenty  years — from  1850  to 
1870 — he  was  the  most  influential  editor  in  America. 
Though  he  was  a  Republican,  he  was  nominated  for 
President  by  the  Democratic  party  in  1872,  in  opposition 
to  President  Grant.  He  was  defeated  overwhelmingly. 
He  died  of  brain  fever,  and  was  buried  in  Greenwood 
cemetery,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

Feb.  3  (1917)— President  Wilson  broke  diplomatic 
relations  with  Germany  by  recalling  American  Ambassa- 

19 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

dor  James  J.  Gerard  from  Berlin  and  handing  passports 
to  German  Ambassador  Bernstorff  at  Washington. 

Feb.  4  (1824) — Congress  adopted  a  resolution  offer 
ing  a  ship  to  Marquis  de  Lafayette  to  bring  him  to 
America,  year  1824.  He  accepted  and  arrived  at  New 
York  on  Aug.  15  of  that  year. 

Feb.  4  (1861) — Convention  of  seven  Southern  states 
met  at  Montgomery,  Ala.,  to  organize  the  government  of 
the  Confederate  States  of  America,  year  1861. 

Feb.  4  (1887)— The  Interstate  Commerce  Commis 
sion  was  established,  year  1887.  Shelby  M.  Cullom  of 
Illinois  was  the  first  chairman. 

Feb.  5  (1631)— Roger  Williams,  founder  of  Rhode 
Island,  arrived  in  America  at  Boston,  year  1631.  He  was 
the  first  leader  of  the  principle  of  religious  toleration  in 
the  American  colonies. 

Feb.  5  (1918) — Steamship  Tuscania,  carrying  119 
ofBcers  and  2,037  men  of  the  United  States  army  bound 
to  Europe  for  service  in  the  German  War,  was  torpedoed 
off  the  north  coast  of  Ireland  by  a  German  submarine  at 
nightfall  year  1918.  The  ship  sank.  The  total  loss  was 
183.  This  was  the  first  troop  ship  carrying  United  States 
soldiers  that  was  torpedoed  by  the  Germans. 

'Feb.  6  (1756) — Aaron  Burr  born  at  Newark,  N.  J., 
year  1756;  died  at  Port  Richmond,  Staten  Island,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  14,  1836;  buried  at  Princeton,  N.  J.  Founder  of 
what  came  to  be  known  as  the  "political  machine"  in 
American  politics.  A  man  of  brilliant  talent,  whose 
career  stands  out  as  a  great  and  sad  disappointment.  In 
the  Presidential  election  of  1800,  he  received  73  electoral 
votes;  Jefferson  received  73,  and  John  Adams  65.  The 
House  of  Representatives,  on  the  36th  ballot,  elected 
Jefferson  as  President,  and  Burr  as  Vice  President.  On 
July  11,  1804,  Burr  shot  and  killed  Alexander  Hamilton 
in  a  duel.  Duelling  was  not  then  classed  by  law  as  crim 
inal.  He  planned  to  establish  a  new  empire,  or  else  a 
republic  in  Texas  or  Mexico.  For  this  he  was  charged 

20 


FEBRUARY 

with  treason,  tried  and  acquitted.  But  overwhelming 
public  opinion  condemned  him.  He  went  to  Europe,  was 
distrusted  by  all  governments  and  forced  to  wander,  and 
was  reduced  to  poverty.  He  returned  to  America  in 
1812,  almost  penniless.  He  settled  in  New  York  and 
practised  law  there  for  the  remainder  of  his  life,  dis 
trusted  and  feared  by  the  public  and  by  leading  public 
men,  yet  idolized  by  some  who  succumbed  to  his  extra 
ordinary  fascination. 

Feb.  6  (1778)— The  Treaty  of  Alliance  with  France 
was  signed  at  Paris  on  this  date  in  the  year  1778.  The 
American  agents  and  signers  were  Benjamin  Franklin, 
Silas  Deane  and  Arthur  Lee.  On  the  part  of  France,  the 
signer  was  Count  de  Vergennes,  minister  of  foreign  af 
fairs  under  King  Louis  XVI.  The  American  victory  at 
Saratoga  in  October  of  the  preceding  year  was  the  most 
potent  influence  in  bringing  about  the  treaty.  (See  "Sa 
ratoga,"  Oct.  7.) 

Feb.  7  (1892)— Long  distance  telephone  opened  be 
tween  New  York  and  Chicago,  year  1892.  John  Elbridge 
Hudson  was  then  president  of  the  American  Bell  tele 
phone  company. 

Feb.  8  (1793)— Congress  fixed  the  salary  of  the 
President  at  $25,000  per  annum,  year  1793. 

Feb.  8  (1820)— William  Tecumseh  Sherman,  soldier, 
born  at  Lancaster,  Ohio,  year  1820;  died  at  New  York, 
Feb.  14,  1891.  Under  Grant,  he  was  the  foremost  gen 
eral  of  the  Union  armies  in  the  Civil  War. 

Feb.  8  (1861)— Congress  of  the  Confederate  States 
of  America  organized  its  government;  it  elected  Jeffer 
son  Davis  of  Mississippi  provisional  president,  and  Alex 
ander  Stephens  of  Georgia  provisional  vice-president, 
year  1861.  The  acts  of  the  Congress  were  later  ratified 
by  popular  vote  in  each  of  the  seceding  states. 

Feb.  9  (1773)— William  Henry  Harrison,  ninth 
President  of  the  United  States,  born  at  Berkeley,  Va., 
year  1773;  died  at  Washington,  April  4,  1841,  aged  68 

21 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

years.  He  was  nominated  for  President  by  the  Whig 
party  in  1840,  and  elected.  Electoral  vote  (26  States)  : 
Harrison,  234;  Van  Buren  (Dem.),  48;  James  G.  Birney 
(Liberal),  11.  Inaugurated  Mar.  4,  1841.  One  month 
later  he  died  of  pneumonia.  He  was  colloquially  known 
as  "Tippecanoe"  because  of  the  battle  at  Tippecanoe,  Ind., 
in  1811,  when  he  commanded  the  U.  S.  army  that  anni 
hilated  the  Indian  force  of  Tecumseh  and  his  brother 
"The  Prophet." 

Feb.  9  (1799)— Naval  battle  between  the  U.  S.  S. 
frigate  Constellation  and  the  French  frigate  Insurgente 
near  the  island  of  Martinique,  West  Indies,  year  1799. 
An  American  victory.  The  battle  lasted  about  one  hour  and 
fifteen  minutes.  The  Insurgente  was  badly  damaged  and 
surrendered.  The  French  loss  was  70  men  killed  and 
wounded;  the  American  lost  2  killed  and  3  wounded.  This 
was  the  most  important  battle  in  the  pseudo  war  between 
the  United  States  and  France. 

Feb.  9  (1814) — Samuel  Jones  Tilden  born  at  New 
Lebanon,  Conn.,  year  1814;  died  at  his  country  home, 
"Greystone,"  near  Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  4,  1886.  Was 
nominated  for  President  by  the  Democratic  party  in  1876. 
Tilden  received  a  popular  plurality  of  251,000  votes  over 
Hayes,  the  Republican  candidate,  in  the  37  states,  but  the 
electoral  vote  of  Louisiana,  Florida  and  South  Carolina 
was  claimed  by  both  parties.  Congress  appointed  an 
"Electoral  Commission"  of  fifteen  members  to  canvass 
the  vote.  This  commission  reported,  on  March  2,  1877, 
that  Mr.  Hayes  had  received  185  electoral  votes  and  Mr. 
Tilden  184  electoral  votes.  So  Mr.  Hayes  was  inaugur 
ated  President  three  days  later,  on  March  5th.  In  that 
year,  March  4th  fell  on  Sunday.  (See  March  4.) 

Feb.  9  (1870)— Weather  Bureau  was  established  by 
Congress,  year  1870. 

Feb.  10  (1763) — First  treaty  of  Paris  signed,  year 
1763.  End  of  the  Old  French  and  Indian  War  (lasted 
1754  to  1763).  Canada  was  ceded  by  France  to  England. 

22 


FEBRUARY 

Feb.  11  (1735) — Daniel  Boone,  pioneer,  born  in 
Bucks  County,  Pa.,  year  1735;  died  at  Charette,  Mo., 
Sept.  26,  1820.  Leader  of  the  pioneers  who  settled  Ken 
tucky. 

Feb.  11  (1847) — Thomas  A.  Edison,  inventor,  born 
at  Milan,  Ohio,  year  1847. 

Feb.  12  (1733)— Gen.  James  Oglethorpe  and  thirty- 
five  families  from  England,  Ireland  and  Scotland,  landed 
from  the  ship  Ann  at  the  site  of  Savannah,  and  settled 
the  Colony  of  Georgia,  year  1733. 

BIRTHDAY  OF  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN 

February  12,  1809 

In  1859,  at  the  beginning  of  the  campaign  by  Mr. 
Lincoln's  friends  in  Illinois  to  nominate  him  for  the  presi 
dency,  in  response  to  their  urging,  he,  Mr.  Lincoln,  wrote 
a  short  autobiography  of  himself,  which  begins  as  fol 
lows: 

"I  was  born  February  12,  1809,  in  Hardin  County, 
Kentucky.  My  parents  were  both  born  in  Virginia,  of 
undistinguished  families — second  families,  perhaps  I 
should  say.  My  mother,  who  died  in  my  tenth  year,  was 
of  a  family  of  the  name  of  Hanks,  some  of  whom  now 
reside  in  Adams,  and  others  in  Macon  counties,  Illinois. 
My  paternal  grandfather,  Abraham  Lincoln,  emigrated 
from  Rockingham  County,  Va.,  to  Kentucky,  about  1781 
or  2  where,  a  year  or  two  later,  he  was  killed  by  Indians, 
not  in  battle,  but  by  stealth,  when  he  was  laboring  to 
open  a  farm  in  the  forest.  His  ancestors,  who  were 
Quakers,  went  to  Virginia  from  Berks  County,  Pennsyl 
vania.  An  effort  to  identify  them  with  the  New  England 
family  of  the  same  name  ended  in  nothing  more  definite 
than  a  similarity  of  Christian  names  in  both  families, 
such  as  Enoch,  Levi,  Mordecai,  Solomon,  Abraham  and 
the  like." 

Lincoln's  story  of  his  life  is  one  of  the  most  modest 
autobiographies  ever  written  by  a  great  man. 

23 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

He  tells,  "when  I  came  of  age,  I  did  not  know  much. 
Still,  somehow  I  could  read,  write  and  cipher  to  the  Rule 
of  Three;  but  that  was  all." 

He  was  raised  to  farm  work,  in  Kentucky,  until  he 
was  21  years  old.  Then  he  removed  to  Macon  County, 
Illinois,  and  continued  farm  work.  Next  year  he  got  a 
place  as  a  clerk  in  a  general  country  store  at  Salem,  Illi 
nois.  When  the  Black  Hawk  Indian  war  broke  out  he 
was  elected  a  captain  of  volunteers  and  went  through  the 
campaign.  At  the  end  of  the  wrar,  he  ran  for  the  legis 
lature  of  Illinois,  but  was  beaten —  "the  only  time  I  was 
ever  beaten  by  the  people,"  he  remarks.  He  ran  again, 
and  was  elected,  and  reelected  twice — serving  three  terms 
at  Springfield,  the  capital.  During  the  period  he  studied 
law.  From  this  time  onward,  he  steadily  rose,  as  a 
lawyer  and  orator.  He  closed  his  autobiography  with 
the  following:  "If  any  personal  description  of  me  is 
thought  desirable,  it  may  be  said,  I  am,  in  height,  six  feet 
four  inches,  nearly ;  lean  in  flesh,  weighing  on  an  average 
one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds;  dark  complexion,  with 
coarse  black  hair,  and  gray  eyes — no  other  marks  or 
brands  recollected." 

He  omitted  to  record  the  important  fact  that  he 
married  in  1842,  Miss  Mary  Todd.  Four  children  were 
born,  of  whom  only  the  oldest,  Robert  Todd  Lincoln, 
lived  to  maturity. 

He  did  not  consider  it  necessary  to  refer  to  the  other 
great  fact  that  he  was  a  candidate  for,  the  U.  S.  Senate 
against  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  in  1858,  and  in  this  contest, 
had  met  his  opponent  in  a  series  of  seven  debates  during 
September  and  October,  on  the  question  of  Slavery.  This 
is  the  most  famous  debating  contest  in  our  history. 
Though  Lincoln  received  more  popular  votes  than  Doug 
las — 125,430  to  121,609,  he  was  defeated,  because  of  pecu 
liarities  in  apportionment  of  the  legislative  districts. 
This  campaign  made  him  the  leader  of  the  anti-slavery, 
or  rather  the  anti-secession  cause  in  the  nation. 

24 


FEBRUARY 

He  was  nominated  for  President  by  the  Republican 
national  convention  at  Chicago  on  May  16,  1860.  The 
Democratic  party  nominated  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  Two 
other  parties  nominated  candidates.  The  result  was  as 

follows : 

Popular  Vote 

Lincoln    (Republican) 1,857,610 

Douglas  (Democrat)    1,365,976 

Breckenridge     (National     Democrat 

or  Southern)  847,953 

Bell    (Constitutional  Union) .  . , 590,631 

Electoral  Vote 

Lincoln 180 

Breckenridge 72 

Bell 39 

Douglas 12 

Eleven  days  after  the  election,  in  November,  1860, 
South  Carolina  adopted  the  "Ordinance  of  Secession." 

Five  weeks  after  the  inauguration  of  President  Lin 
coln,  on  March  4,  1861,  the  Civil  War  began. 

He  was  shot  by  the  assassin,  John  Wilkes  Booth,  in 
Ford's  Theatre,  Washington,  on  the  evening  of  April  14, 
1865,  and  died  next  morning,  aged  56  years.  His  remains 
were  buried  at  Springfield,  111. 

All  civilized  peoples  of  the  world  love  him  and  revere 
him  as  one  of  the  greatest  men  that  ever  lived.  (See 
April  14,  "Assassination";  June  3,  "Jefferson  Davis"; 
Sept.  22,  "Emancipation";  Oct.  15,  "Lincoln  Monument"; 
Nov.  19,  "Gettysburg  Speech,"  and  Dec.  3,  "Lincoln- 
McClellan.") 

Feb.  12  (1873)— Passage  by  Congress  of  an  act  "de 
monetizing"  silver,  year  1873.  By  this  act,  the  standard 
silver  dollar  of  412j/£  grains  was  dropped  from  the  list  of 
authorized  coins.  In  its  place  was  substituted  the  "trade 
dollar"  of  420  grains,  for  use  mostly  in  the  China  trade ; 
a  total  of  $35,965,944  in  this  coin  was  issued  from  the 

25 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

mints.  In  1878,  the  coinage  of  the  silver  dollar  was  re 
sumed. 

Feb.  13  (1741) — The  American  Magazine,  the  first 
magazine  published  on  the  Western  Continent,  appeared 
at  Philadelphia,  year  1741.  Three  days  later  Benjamin 
Franklin  brought  out  The  General  Magazine.  The 
idea  was  entirely  Franklin's.  He  was  preparing  to  issue 
his  magazine,  and  spoke  of  it  unguardedly ;  one  of  his 
hearers  stole  the  idea  and  hurriedly  got  out  a  magazine 
ahead  of  Franklin.  The  thief  was  wrell  punished,  for 
The  American  Magazine  died  with  its  third  number 
when  the  proprietor  was  .bankrupt.  Franklin's  magazine 
failed  after  six  months. 

Feb.  13  (1776) — James  Wilson,  member  of  the 
Second  Continental  Congress,  offered  in  the  Congress  an 
address  to  the  people  proposing  and  discussing  political 
separation  from  England,  year  1776.  This  was  the  first 
open  proposal,  in  the  Congress,  of  American  indepen 
dence.  The  members  received  it  coldly;  it  was  "laid  up 
on  the  table"  and  thus  was  suppressed.  Two  months 
later,  on  April  12,  North  Carolina  instructed  its  delegates 
to  vote  for  independence.  The  other  Colonies  followed. 

Feb.  13  (1795)— University  of  North  Carolina 
opened  to  students,  year  1795.  This  was  the  first  State 
university  actually  opened  to  students.  The  universities 
of  Pennsylvania,  Georgia,  Vermont  and  Tennessee  were 
chartered  prior  to  the  North  Carolina  institution,  but 
were  not  opened  for  general  university  students  until 
after  1795. 

Feb.  14  (1778)— Flag  of  the  United  States,  Stars  and 
Stripes,  first  seen  and  saluted  in  foreign  waters  at  Quibe- 
ron,  France,  year  1778.  It  was  flown  from  the  peak  of 
the  U.  S.  S.  Ranger,  commanded  by  John  Paul  Jones. 

Feb.  14  (1876)— Alexander  Graham  Bell  and  Elisha 
Gray,  each  on  this  date  in  the  year  1876,  filed  in  Wash 
ington  separate  applications  for  a  patent  on  a  speaking 
telephone.  The  Bell  application  was  filed  a  few  hours 

26 


FEBRUARY 

earlier  than  the  other  and  the  patent  was  granted  to  Bell. 
Later,  Gray  brought  suit  against  Mr.  Bell,  alleging  that 
Gray  had  filed  at  the  Patent  Office  a  caveat  prior  to  the 
Bell  application,  in  which  caveat  the  Gray  telephone  was 
described,  and,  from  this  caveat,  by  accident  or  fraud — 
so  Gray  alleged — Bell  received  the  knowledge  which  en 
abled  him  to  perfect  the  Bell  instrument  and  file  his  ap 
plication  for  patent  ahead  of  Gray.  Upon  trial  of  the 
case,  the  lower  court  dismissed  the  charges  against  Bell 
and,  in  1888,  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  confirmed  the  Bell 
patent. 

Feb.  14  (1912) — Arizona  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1912. 

Feb.  15  (1898)— U.  S.  Battleship  Maine  was  sunk  in 
the  harbor  of  Havana,  Cuba,  Feb.  15,  1898,  following  an 
explosion  at  9:49  o'clock  at  night,  of  a  submarine  mine 
outside  the  ship  and  the  partial  explosion  of  two  or  more 
magazines  within  the  ship.  The  ship  sank  to  the  bottom 
of  the  harbor,  within  fifteen  minutes,  in  33  feet  of  water. 
Of  the  350  men  and  officers  on  board  at  the  time  of  the 
explosion,  250  were  lost.  The  sinking  of  the  Maine  was 
a  proximate  cause  of  the  War  with  Spain.  The  primary 
cause  of  the  War  was  the  struggle  of  the  people  of  Cuba 
for  their  liberty. 

Feb.  16  (1862) — Surrender  of  Fort  Donelson,  Tenn., 
by  the  Confederates  (Gen.  Floyd,  15,000  men)  to  a  Union 
army  (Gen.  Grant,  15,000  men),  year  1862.  The  siege 
lasted  only  four  days.  The  actual  surrender  was  made 
by  Gen.  Simon  B.  Buckner,  who  assumed  the  command 
relinquished  by  General  Floyd.  The  number  of  prisoners 
taken  by  Grant  was  13,000.  The  Union  loss  in  killed  and 
wounded  and  missing  was  3,300;  the  Confederate  killed 
and  wounded  and  missing  numbered  2,000.  On  the  morn 
ing  of  the  surrender,  General  Buckner  wrote  a  letter  to 
Grant  proposing  an  armistice  to  discuss  terms  of  sur 
render.  Grant  replied :  "No  terms  except  an  uncondi 
tional  and  immediate  surrender  can  be  accepted.  I  pro- 

27 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSAFi 

pose  to  move  immediately  on  your  works."     Thereatter, 
the  people  of  the  North  nick-named  their  gener*1 
conditional  Surrender  Grant." 

Feb.  17  (1801)— The  House  01  Xep, 
elected  Thomas  Jefferson  President,  year  \l 
were  three  candidates  at  the  popular  e^  in  i\ 

ber,   1800.     Jefferson  and  Aaron  E    .1    eacn  r<_~ 
electoral  votes,  and  John  Adams  65.     As  r\\-t'    »nri>. 
had  received  a  majority,  the  election  was  tV 
House   of   Representatives,   where   the   Ac 
was  given  to  Jefferson  and  he  was  electee 
ballot.    (See  Birthday  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  t 
Style,  April  13]  and  Aaron  Burr,  Feb.  6.) 

Feb.    18    (1861) — Jefferson    Davis   was 
President  of  the  Confederate  States  of  Anier1' 
gomery,  Ala.,  year  1861. 

Feb.  19  (1803) — Ohio  was  admitted 
year  1803. 

Feb.  19  (1878)— Phonograph  patent  to  7 
Edison,  year  1878. 

Feb.    20    (1829)— Joseph    Jefferson,    actc 
Philadelphia,  year  1829;  died  at  Palm  B— 1 
23,  1905.  His  most  famous  characterizado. 
Winkle"  in  the  play  of  that  name,  dran-. 
and  Dion  Boucicault  from  Washington  ^;,n.^. 
the  year  1865. 

Feb.   20    (1915)— The   Panama-Pacific   1 
Exposition  at  San  Francisco  was  opened,  ye^ 
closed    on    Dec.    4,    1915.      The    total    a* 
18,871,957.    The  profit  was  about  $2,000,X*. 

Feb.  21    (1885) — Washington  Monumen^ 
ington,  D.  C,  dedicated,  year  1885.     In  that  ye* 
ington's  birthday  fell  on  Sunday  so  the  dedLv 
monies   were   set  for   Saturday,   Feb.   21.     It   is 
granite  obelisk,  555  feet  high.    The  corner  stone 
on  July  4,  1848. 

28 


FEBRUARY 

i)  ( 

'1901)—  The  United  States  Steel  Corpora- 

.oOTporjLj.*---;1  in  New  Jersey,  year  1901. 
*B;  rr.iP.^T  v 

J^AY  OF  GEORGE  WASHINGTON 

/o  .  -         rroijos^ 

22  (1732) 


»tfashington   was   born   in   a   plain   wooden 
tfarm  called  "Wakefield,"  in  Westmore- 
-%inia,  on  Feb.  22,  1732.    His  father  was 
or   "planten,"   named   Augustine. 
Ball  before  her  marriage.     George 
of  six  children,  four  sons  and  two  daugh- 
•  •r^ilso  three  half-brothers  and  a  half-sister, 
..•){iis  father's  first  wife. 
cm';    great-grandfather,  John  Washington, 
:  ;einia,    from    England,    in    1658.      The 
''the  landed  proprietor  class,  of  the  north  of 
bly  of  the  gentry,  though  this  has  never 
^fvfis  mother's  family,  descended  from  Col. 
f  Kent,  England,  who  came  to  Virginia  in 
Iffcputably  aristocratic. 

rr^"»was  twelve  years  old,  his  father  died. 
i**<*y-'isrrk'nown  of  his  boyhood.    The  story  of 
tree,  and  others  featuring  him  as 
strength  and  dexterousness,  were 
vev.  Macon  S.  Weems,  an  Episcopal  clergy- 
the  first  "Life  of  Washington,"  which 
j;in  the  year  1800.     This  book  had  a  tre- 
)  More  than   fifty  editions  were   printed. 
t^idently   allowed   his  imagination   full 
>$tent     hiafcorians     nowadays     regard     the 
including  the  cherry-tree  story,  as  fictions. 
t^iat  ^e  was  employed  by  Lord  Fairfax 
at  tne  ag"e  of  sixteen.     He  got  his  first  mili- 
at  the  age  of  nineteen  —  that  of  adju- 
nn-.  V'irginia  troops  with  the  rank  of  major.    Two 
^er,  in  1753,  he  was  named  Commander-in-chief 
Virginia   forces   in   the  French  and   Indian   War 
29 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

(see  battle  of  Ft.  Duquesne,  July  9,  1755).  At  the  end  of 
the  war,  in  1758,  he  married  Martha  Custis,  widow  of 
David  Parke  Custis,  and  brought  her  to  live  at  Mount 
Vernon,  overlooking  the  Potomac  River,  fiere  he  lived 
quietly  for  seven  years,  engaged  in  the  work  of  his  plan 
tation.  He  owned  a  large  number  of  slaves,  and  became 
wealthy.  At  the  passage  of  the  Stamp  Act,  in  1765,  he 
was  aroused  and  entered  public  life.  From  that  time 
until  his  death,  the  biography  of  Washington  is  part  of 
the  history  of  America.  The  main  events  in  the  chronol 
ogy  of  his  later  public  life  are  as  follows  (he  commanded 
personally  in  the  battles)  : 

Member  of  the  First  Continental  Congress. .  .Sept.,  1774 
Member  of  the  Second  Continental  Congress.  .May,  1775 
Appointed  Commander-in-chief  of  American  Armies 

of  the   Revolution    July  3,  1775 

Battle  of   Long  Island Aug.  27,  1776 

Battle  of  Harlem   Sept.  16,  1776 

Battle  of  White  Plains Oct.  28,  1776 

Battle  of  Trenton   Dec.  26,  1776 

Battle  of  Princeton   Jan.  3,  1777 

Battle  of  Brandywine  Sept.  11,  1777 

Battle  of  Germantown   Oct.  4,  1777 

Valley  Forge  Winter  of  1777-1778 

Battle  of  Monmouth June  28,  1778 

Surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown Oct.  19,  1781 

Elected  president  of  the  Constitutional  Convention 

at    Philadelphia    May  14,  1787 

Inaugurated  President  of  the  United  States.  Apr.  30,  1789 
Reelected  President  in  179^  and  reinaugurated 

on March  4,  1793 

Farewell  address  to  the  People  of  the  United  States 

issued  Sept.  17,  1796 

Died  at  Mount  Vernon,  Va.,  at  the  age  of  67  years, 

Dec.  14,  1799 

In   1783,  immediately  after  the  end  of  the  Revolu-j 
tionary  War,  Congress  ordered  that  a  statue  be  erected' 

» 


FEBRUARY 

"in  honor  of  George  Washington,  the  illustrious  Com 
mander-in-chief  of  the  Armies  of  the  United  States  of 
America  during  the  war  which  vindicated  and  secured 
their  liberty,  sovereignty,  and  independence."  Political 
rancor,  which  arose  after  the  war,  prevented,  for  many 
years  the  execution  of  this  order  of  Congress.  The 
corner-stone  of  the  great  monument  at  Washington  was 
not  laid  until  July  4,  1848.  It  was  dedicated  on  Feb.  21, 
1885,  more  than  100  years  after  the  resolution  providing 
for  it  was  adopted. 

Forty-two  painters  and  sculptors  are  recorded  as 
creators  of  likenesses  and  statues  of  Washington.  The 
first  portrait  painted,  so  far  as  is  known,  was  by  Charles 
W.  Peale,  begun  in  1778.  The  best-known  statue  is  the 
one  by  Jean  Antoine  Houdon,  modeled  early  in  the  Revo 
lution.  The  marble  statue,  made  later  from  that  model,  is 
now  in  the  Virginia  State  Capitol  at  Richmond.  This  is 
the  likeness  copied  upon  the  2-cent  postage  stamp  of  the 
United  States  Government. 

Senator  Henry  Cabot  Lodge,  in  his  introduction  to 
his  volume,  "George  Washington,"  writes  these  words: 

"Behind  the  popular  myths,  behind  the  statuesque 
figure  of  the  orator  and  the  preacher,  behind  the  general 
and  the  president  and  the  historian,  there  was  a  strong, 
vigorous  man,  in  whose  veins  ran  warm,  red  blood,  in 
whose  heart  were  stormy  passions  and  deep  sympathy 
for  humanity,  in  whose  brains  were  far-reaching 
thoughts,  and  who  was  informed  throughout  his  being 
with  a  resistless  will.  The  veil  of  his  silence  is  not  often 
lifted,  and  never  intentionally,  but  now  and  then  there  is 
a  glimpse  behind  it;  and  in  stray  sentences  and  in  little 
incidents  strenuously  gathered  together;  above  all  in  the 
right  interpretation  of  the  words  and  the  deeds,  and  the 
true  history  known  to  all  men — we  can  surely  find  George 
Washington,  the  noblest  figure  that  ever  stood  in  the 
forefront  of  a  nation's  life." 

Feb.  22  (1819) — James  Russell  Lowell,  poet,  essayist 
31 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

and  diplomat,  born  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  year  1819;  died 
at  Cambridge,  Aug.  12,  1891.  He  was  the  first  editor  of 
the  Atlantic  Monthly  Magazine,  founded  in  1857,  by 
Emerson,  Holmes,  Longfellow  and  Lowell.  His  best 
known  poems  are  "The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal"  (1845) 
and  the  "Biglow  Papers"  (1845),  a  series  of  satiric 
Yankee  dialect  poems  which  had  an  immense  vogue.  In 
the  prelude  to  the  first  part  of  "The  Vision  of  Sir  Laun 
fal"  is  the  popular  couplet : 

"What  is  so  rare  as  a  day  in  June? 
Then,  if  ever,  come  perfect  days." 

Feb.  22  (1913) — Francisco  Indalecio  Madero,  Presi 
dent  of  Mexico  and  deposed  by  revolutionists,  was  shot 
by  agents  of  the  de  facto  government  under  Gen.  Victo- 
riano  Huerta  the  provisional  president.  The  officials  ex 
plained  that  Madero  was  being  transferred  from  the 
National  Palace  to  the  penitentiary  in  the  City  of 
Mexico,  in  the  night  time,  when  an  attempt  was  made 
by  his  partizans  to  rescue  him,  and,  in  the  melee,  he  was 
accidentally  killed.  The  civilized  world  was  shocked  by 
the  manner  of  his  death.  Few  believed  the  story  told 
by  the  Huerta  officials.  Overwhelming  evidence  was 
offered  to  prove  that  he  was  murdered  by  his  guards  by 
order  of  the  high  Huerta  officials.  The  death  of  Madero 
marks  the  beginning  of  the  active  chain  of  events  which 
led  to  the  crisis  of  1916,  when  the  United  States  and 
Mexico  were  on  the  brink  of  war. 

Feb.  23  (1839) — Express  business  first  started,  year 
1839.  The  first  "express  package  carrier"  was  William 
Frederick  Harnden  of  Boston,  Mass.  He  made  his  first 
trip  from  Boston  to  New  York,  having  only  packages 
enough  to  fill  an  ordinary  valise.  In  a  few  months  he 
employed  two  messengers  and  extended  his  service  to 
Philadelphia. 

Feb.  23  (1847) — Battle  of  Buena  Vista,  Mexico,  year 
1847.  General  Zachary  Taylor  (5,400  Americans)  vs. 

32 


FEBRUARY 

General  Santa  Anna  (20,000  Mexicans).  Complete  Amer 
ican  victory. 

Feb.  24  (1779) — Capture  of  Vincennes,  Ind.,  by  Col. 
George  R.  Clarke,  year  1779,  thus  bringing  into  posses 
sion  of  the  United  States  the  great  division  that  is  now 
Indiana  and  Illinois. 

Feb.  24  (1855) — Court  of  Claims  established  by  Con 
gress,  year  1855. 

Feb.  24  (1868) — Bill  to  impeach  President  Johnson 
introduced  in  Congress  by  Thaddeus  Stevens,  Republican 
leader  of  the  House  of  Representatives  and  friend  of  the 
negro  race,  year  1868.  President  Johnson,  at  the  end  of 
the  trial  which  followed,  was  acquitted.  Stevens  died  in 
August  of  the  same  year.  He  was  buried  in  an  humble 
cemetery  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  which  cemetery  did  not  bar 
negroes  from  interment.  The  following  epitaph  was 
placed  upon  his  tombstone :  "I  repose  in  this  quiet  and 
secluded  spot,  not  from  any  preference  for  solitude,  but 
rinding  other  cemeteries  limited  by  charter  rules  as  to 
race,  I  have  chosen  it  that  I  might  be  enabled  to  illustrate 
in  my  death  the  principles  which  I  have  advocated 
through  a  long  life — the  equality  of  man  before  his  Crea 
tor." 

Feb.  25  (1639) — First  popular  assembly  in  Mary 
land,  chosen  by  the  people  to  legislate  for  themselves, 
met  at  St.  Mary's  on  the  Potomac,  year  1639.  (See 
March  25.) 

Feb.  25  (1746)— Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney,  sol 
dier  and  diplomat,  born  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  year  1746; 
died  at  Charleston,  Aug.  16,  1825.  He  served  as  aide  to 
Washington  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  was  minister 
to  France  in  1796-1797,  was  the  Federalist  candidate  for 
President  in  1804  and  1808.  He  is  erroneously  famous  as 
the  alleged  author  of  the  phrase,  "Millions  for  Defense 
but  Not  a  Cent  for  Tribute !" 

In  1797,  President  John  Adams  sent  to  France  three 
special  envoys — John  Marshall,  Charles  C.  Pinckney  and 

33 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Elbridge  Gerry,  to  settle,  if  possible,  the  difficulties  with 
the  so-called  "Directory"  government  of  France.  At  that 
time  Talleyrand  was  the  minister  of  foreign  affairs  of 
France — a  notoriously  unscrupulous  man.  The  Ameri 
can  envoys  were  treated  with  contempt  at  Paris.  After  a 
time  one  of  Talleyrand's  agents  approached  them  with  a 
dishonest  proposition,  offering  to  bring  about  a  settle 
ment  between  France  and  the  United  States  if  the  Ameri 
cans  would  agree  to  make  a  loan  to  the  French  govern 
ment  and  also  secretly  deliver  the  sum  of  $220,000  as  a 
douceur  (in  fact  a  bribe)  to  the  French  minister.  The 
Americans  indignantly  refused.  Pinckney  roared  at  Tal 
leyrand's  agent,  "No !  Not  a  sixpence !"  Marshall  and 
Pinckney  returned  to  America,  having  accomplished 
nothing.  When  the  story  of  Talleyrand's  duplicity  be 
came  known,  a  wave  of  wrath  swept  over  the  United 
States.  On  June  18,  1798,  the  members  of  Congress  gave 
a  dinner  to  John  Marshall  at  O'Eller's  Tavern  in  Phila 
delphia.  There  is  a  record  of  sixteen  formal  toasts 
offered  at  this  dinner.  Toast  No.  13  was,  "Millions  for 
Defense  but  Not  a  Cent  for  Tribute."  This  toast,  which 
was  entirely  new,  turned  out  to  be  the  event  of  the 
dinner.  It  is  not  known  who  replied  to  it,  though  it  is 
likely  that  the  speaker  was  Congressman  Robert  G.  Har 
per  of  South  Carolina.  Late  in  life,  General  Pinckney 
was  asked  if  it  was  true  that  he  had  used  the  phrase  in 
replying  to  Talleyrand's  agent  at  Paris.  He  said :  "I 
never  used  any  such  expression.  Mr.  Robert  Goodloe 
Harper  did  at  a  public  meeting.  I  never  did."  He  was 
further  asked :  "Did  you  ever  correct  the  report  of  Mr. 
Harper's  speech,  General?" 

"No,  sir.  The  nation  adopted  the  expression  and  I 
always  thought  there  would  have  been  more  ostentation 
in  denying  than  in  submitting  to  the  report.  The  nation 
adopted  it."  (See  New  York  Evening  Post,  year  1871.) 

It  is  evident  that  Harper,  in  his  speech,  credited  the 
saying  to  Pinckney.  It  may  be  surmised  that  some  un- 

34 


FEBRUARY 

known  member  of  the  committee  that  arranged  the  din 
ner  at  O'Eller's  Tavern,  wrote  the  phrase  for  the  program 
of  toasts,  merely  as  he  wrote  the  other  fifteen  sentiments, 
and  sent  the  copy  to  the  printer,  or  to  the  speaker  as 
signed  to  toast  No.  13.  He  had  no  thought  whatever  of 
the  fame  by  error  that  he  was  to  put  on  General  Pinckney. 

Feb.  25  (1781)— Bank  of  the  United  States  estab 
lished  at  Philadelphia,  year  1.781.  The  first  president  of 
the  bank  was  Thomas  Willing,  a  partner  of  Robert  Mor 
ris,  the  financier  of  the  Revolution. 

Feb.  25  (1836) — First  patent  for  a  revolver  granted 
to  Samuel  Colt,  inventor,  year  1836.  The  new  weapon 
was  used  with  great  effect  by  the  Texans  that  same  year 
in  winning  their  independence  from  Mexico. 

Feb.  25  (1913) — Sixteenth  Amendment  to  the  Con 
stitution  adopted.  It  reads:  "The  Congress  shall  have 
power  to  lay  and  collect  taxes  on  incomes,  from  whatever 
source  derived,  without  apportionment  among  the  sev 
eral  States,  and  without  regard  to  any  census  or  enumer 
ation." 

Feb.  25  (1917)— Cunard  steamship  Laconia,  18,000 
tons,  bound  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  year  1917,  car 
rying  a  cargo  of  food  stuffs,  cotton  and  war  material  and 
seventy-three  passengers,  was  torpedoed  by  a  German 
submarine  off  the  southwest  coast  of  Ireland,  at  10.30 
p.  m.  and  sank  in  forty  minutes.  Two  of  the  passengers 
and  four  of  the  crew  were  Americans.  One  of  the  pas 
sengers  died.  All  others  were  saved.  This  was  the  first 
deliberate  act  of  war  by  Germany  against  the  United 
States  after  the  severance  of  diplomatic  relations,  and  it 
led  directly  to  the  later  declaration  of  war  by  the  United 
States. 

Feb.  26  (1869)— The  Fifteenth  Amendment  to  the 
Constitution  was  adopted  by  Congress,  year  1869.  Vote 
in  House — 145  ayes,  44  noes.  "Vote  in  Senate — 39  ayes, 
13  noes.  The  Amendment  was  afterwards  ratified  by 

35 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

thirty  States.  It  was  rejected  by  California,  Delaware, 
Kentucky,  Maryland,  New  Jersey  and  Oregon.  New 
York  ratified,  but  rescinded  the  ratification  in  1870.  Ten 
nessee  did  not  act  upon  it.  The  required  three-fourths 
having  ratified,  the  Amendment  was  proclaimed  on 
March  30,  1870.  It  reads  as  follows : 

"Article  XV,  Sec.  1.  The  right  of  the  citizens 
of  the  United  States  to  vote  shall  not  be  denied  or 
abridged  by  the  United  States  or  by  any  State  on 
account  of  race,  color,  or  previous  condition  of 
servitude. 

"Sec.  2.  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to 
enforce  the  provisions  of  this  article  by  approp 
riate  legislation." 

Feb.  27  (1807)— Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow 
poet,  born  at  Portland,  Me.,  year  1807;  died  at  Cam 
bridge,  Mass.,  March  24,  1882.  Recognized  by  a  majority 
of  American  educators  as  the  most  popular,  if  not  the 
greatest  of  American  poets  of  the  19th  century. 

Feb.  28  (1827) — Charter  granted  by  the  legislature 
of  Maryland  to  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  Company, 
the  first  jailroad  in  America,  year  1827.  The  petition 
stated  that  it  was  proposed  "to  construct  a  double  track 
railroad  between  the  city  of  Baltimore  and  some  point  on 
the  Ohio  River  by  the  most  eligible  and  direct  route." 
One  month  later  the  company  was  organized  with  Philip 
Evan  Thomas  as  president.  The  work  of  construction 
was  commenced  by  laying  a  cornerstone  on  July  4,  1828. 

Feb.  29  (1704) — Deerfield  (Mass.)  massacre,  year 
1704.  Three  hundred  French  and  Indians  from  Canada 
surprised  the  New  England  garrison  in  the  night,  killed 
47  of  the  inhabitants,  burned  the  town,  and  carried  away 
120  captives  through  the  northern  wilderness.  One  of 
the  objects  of  the  raid  was  to  get  possession  of  a  bell 
which  hung  over  the  Deerfield  meeting  house.  This  bell 
had  been  shipped  from  France,  intended  for  the  Catholic 

36 


FEBRUARY 

church  in  the  little  Indian  village  of  Caughnawaga  near 
Montreal,  but  the  ship  was  captured  by  a  New  England 
privateer  and  taken  to  Boston  with  all  its  cargo.  The  bell 
was  sold  to  the  Deerfield  congregation,  the  members  of 
which  did  not  know  that  it  was  valued  as  sacred  by  the 
pastor  of  the  Canadian  Indian  village  and  his  flock.  The 
bell  was  borne  to  Caughnawaga  where  it  still  hangs. 


37 


MARCH 

March  1  (1780) — Bank  of  Pennsylvania,  the  first 
bank  in  the  United  States,  was  chartered,  year  1780. 

Mar.  1  (1837) — William  Dean  Howells  born  at  Mar 
tin's  Ferry,  Ohio,  year  1837.  The  foremost  American 
novelist  of  the  last  half  of  the  19th  century.  He  was  ap 
pointed  by  President  Lincoln  consul  to  Venice,  Italy, 
where  he  lived  from  1861  to  1865.  Much  of  his  work  has 
Italian  coloring.  His  best  known  novels  are :  "A  Fore 
gone  Conclusion"  (1874);  "A  Modern  Instance"  (1883), 
and  "The  Rise  of  Silas  Lapham"  (1885). 

Mar.  1  (1845) — Act  of  Congress  passed  and  signed 
by  President  Tyler,  admitting  Texas  into  the  Union, 
year  1845. 

Mar.  1  (1867) — Nebraska  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1867. 

Mar.  2  (1793) — Samuel  Houston,  pioneer,  soldier 
and  statesman,  born  at  Timber  Ridge  Church,  Va.,  year 
1793;  died  at  Huntsville,  Texas,  July  26,  1863.  He  was 
the  leader  in  the  rebellion  of  Texas  against  Mexico  and 
was  the  first  president  of  the  Republic  of  Texas  (1836- 
1838).  He  was  governor  of  the  State  of  Texas,  1859- 
1861.  His  birthday  is  observed  as  a  holiday  in  Texas. 

MISSOURI  COMPROMISE  ACT  PASSED  BY  THE 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  AT 

WASHINGTON 

March  2,  1820 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1820,  there  were  twenty- 
two  states  in  the  Union.  Of  these,  ten  permitted  slavery. 
In  January,  1819,  a  bill  had  been  introduced  to  admit 
Missouri  as  a  State,  without  restrictions,  as  all  other 
States  had  been  admitted  after  the  adoption  of  the  Con 
stitution.  But  the  anti-slavery  movement  had  grown 
powerful  in  the  North,  and  a  New  York  congressman 
offered  an  amendment  to  the  Missouri  Statehood  bill 

39 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

providing  that  "the  further  introduction  of  slavery,  or  in 
voluntary  servitude  be  prohibited."  The  Southern  mem 
bers,  led  by  Henry  Clay  of  Kentucky,  opposed  the  amend 
ment,  saying  it  was  unconstitutional.  After  a  stormy 
debate,  it  passed  the  House  by  a  vote  of  97  to  56.  But 
the  Senate  threw  out  the  amendment  and  passed  the  Mis 
souri  Statehood  bill  without  any  slavery  restriction. 
Then  the  House,  by  vote,  refused  to  concur  with  the 
Senate  and  so  the  bill  was  lost,  and  Congress  adjourned, 
in  1819,  without  admitting  Missouri. 

In  the  political  campaign  which  followed  in  autumn 
of  that  year,  the  whole  country  was  plunged  in  a  discus 
sion  of  the  slavery  question — the  first  campaign  in  which 
it  was  a  nation-wide  issue. 

In  the  meantime  the  District  of  Maine,  which  was  a 
part  of  Massachusetts,  applied  for  admission  as  a  State. 
When  Congress  met  again  in  Dec.  1819,  Henry  Clay 
argued  that  if  Maine  was  to  be  admitted  without  restric 
tions,  so  ought  Missouri.  But  the  House  voted  to  admit 
Maine,  without  Missouri.  In  January,  1820,  began  a 
great  debate  in  the  Senate.  The  Southern  senators 
wanted  to  admit- Maine  and  Missouri  together,  without 
restrictions.  They  agreed  to  an  amendment  conceding 
that  slavery  in  the  future  should  be  forever  barred  from 
"all  the  territory  ceded  by  France  to  the  United  States, 
under  the  name  of  Louisiana,  which  lies  north  of  thirty- 
six  degrees  thirty  minutes  north  latitude,  excepting  only 
such  part  thereof,  as,  included  within  the  limits  of  the 
State  contemplated  by  this  act"  (Missouri).  This  amend 
ment  passed  the  Senate  by  a  vote  of  34  to  10. 

The  House  refused  to  concur,  and  passed  another 
bill  admitting  Missouri  and  prohibiting  slavery  in  that 
State.  This  was  sent  to  the  Senate,  which  voted  it  down. 
Thus  there  was  a  deadlock  between  the  two  houses. 

Finally,  a  joint  committee,  dominated  by  Henry 
Clay,  compromised  the  differences,  and  recommended 
that  the  Senate  give  up  its  purpose  to  bar  out  Maine  un- 

40 


MARCH 

less  Missouri  be  admitted  unconditionally;  that  the 
House  give  up  insisting  on  the  exclusion  of  slavery  from 
Missouri ;  and  that  both  houses  pass  the  bill  admitting 
slavery  to  Missouri,  but  shutting  it  out  from  all  the  rest 
of  Louisiana  Territory  north  of  36  degrees  30  minutes 
north  latitude.  These  three  propositions  constitute  what 
is  known  as  "The  Missouri  Compromise."  The  House 
passed  the  bills  constituting  the  "Compromise"  Act  by 
the  close  vote  of  90  to  87,  on  March  2,  1820.  The  Senate 
adopted  them  next  day  almost  unanimously.  President 
Monroe  signed  them  a  few  days  later.  The  new  boun 
dary  of  slavery  was  far  south  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line. 
Maine  was  formally  admitted  on  March  15,  1820,  but 
Missouri  was  not  actually  admitted  until  Aug.  10,  1821, 
after  her  people  had  ratified  the  Act. 

The  Missouri  Compromise  Act  was  repealed  in  1854, 
and  its  repeal  was  one  of  the  prime  causes  of  the  Civil 
War. 

Mar.  2  (1867) — U.  S.  Department  of  Education 
(later  changed  to  "Bureau")  was  established  by  Con 
gress,  year  1867.  Senator  Charles  Sumner  of  Massachu 
setts,  in  the  debate,  strongly  favored  placing  the  head  of 
this  Department  in  the  Cabinet. 

Mar.  3  (1815) — War  declared  against  Algiers,  year 
1815.  Commodore  Stephen  Decatur  was  sent  in  com 
mand  of  a  squadron  of  ten  warships  to  attack  the  strong 
Algerian  naval  force  in  the  Mediterranean.  The  squadron 
sailed  on  May  20,  captured  the  largest  of  the  Algerian 
ships  on  June  17  after  a  bloody  battle,  and  another  Al 
gerian  ship  two  days  later.  Then  the  American  squadron 
appeared  before  Algiers  prepared  to  bombard  the  city. 
The  Bey  of  Algiers  at  once  gave  up  and  signed  the  treaty 
presented  by  Decatur,  on  June  30 — thus  ending  a  short 
war. 

In  April,  1816,  Commodore  Decatur,  at  a  banquet  in 
Norfolk,  Va.,  gave  the  following  toast :  "Our  Country ! 
In  her  intercourse  with  foreign  nations  may  she  always 
be  in  the  right;  but  our  country,  right  or  wrong!"  This 

41 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

expression  afterwards  became  a  national  slogan  in  the 
United  States. 

Mar.  3  (1820) — Bill  admitting  Maine  into  the  Union 
passed  by  Congress,  year  1820.  Admitted  March  15. 

Mar.  3  (1845) — Florida  was  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1845. 

Mar.  3  (1851) — National  Soldiers'  Home  at  Wash 
ington  established  by  Congress,  year  1851. 

Mar.  3  (1851) — Letter  postage  reduced  to  3  cents  for 
3,000  miles  or  less;  over  3,000  miles  double  rate,  year 
1851. 

Mar.  3  (1873) — Congress  passed  the  act  increasing 
the  salary  of  the  President  from  $25,000  a  year  to  $50,000 
a  year,  year  1873. 

Mar.  3  (1899) — First  use  of  wireless  telegraphy  to 
save  life,  following  a  marine  disaster,  year  1899.  It  was 
the  steamship  R.  F.  Mathews  that  ran  into  the  East 
Goodwin  (England)  lightship  during  a  fog.  The  accident 
was  reported  to  the  shore  by  Marconi  wireless,  and  life 
boats  went  to  the  rescue  and  saved  the  crews. 

Mar.  4  (1791) — Vermont  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1791. 

INAUGURATION  DAY 
March  4 

President  Washington  was  inaugurated  on  this  date 
for  his  second  term  (beginning  March  4,  1793),  and  all 
the  other  presidents  except  four  who  were  inaugurated 
on  March  5th  because  March  4th  fell  on  Sunday.  The 
four  exceptions  were  President  Monroe  (second  term, 
1821),  President  Taylor  (1849),  President  Hayes  (1877), 
and  President  Wilson  (second  term,  1917).  President 
Hayes  took  the  oath  of  office  in  a  private  ceremony  on 
Saturday,  March  3,  1877,  and  was  formally  inaugurated 
on  the  following  Monday.  President  Wilson  took  the 
oath  for  his  second  term  on  Sunday,  March  4.  The  usual 
inauguration  parade  took  place  next  day. 

The  question  as  to  whether,  in  the  event  of  March 
4th  falling  on  Sunday  at  the  beginning  of  a  presidential 

42 


MARCH 

term,  there  be  an  interregnum  of  one  full  day  in  the  of 
fice,  was  first  brought  by  John  Quincy  Adams  when  he 
was  Secretary  of  State  in  Monroe's  first  term,  and  applied 
for  a  dictum  from  the  Supreme  Court  to  guide  the  manner 
of  inaugurating  President  Monroe  for  his  second  term. 
Chief  Justice  John  Marshall  in  a  letter  to  Secretary 
Adams,  said : 

"As  the  Constitution  only  provides  that  the  Presi 
dent  shall  take  the  oath  it  prescribes  'before  he  enters  on 
the  execution  of  his  office/  and  as  the  law  is  silent  on  the 
subject,  the  time  seems  to  be  in  some  measure  at  the  dis 
cretion  of  that  high  officer.  There  is  an  obvious  pro 
priety  in  taking  the  oath  as  soon  as  it  can  conveniently  be 
taken,  and  thereby  shortening  the  interval  in  which  the 
executive  power  is  suspended.  But  some  interval  is  in 
evitable.  The  time  of  the  actual  President  will  expire, 
and  that  of  the  President-elect  commence  at  12  in  the 
night  of  the  3rd  of  March.  It  has  been  usual  to  take  the 
oath  at  midday  on  the  4th.  Thus,  there  has  been  uni 
formly  and  voluntarily  an  interval  of  twelve  hours  during 
which  the  executive  power  could  not  be  exercised.  .  .  . 
Undoubtedly  on  any  pressing  emergency  the  President 
might  take  the  oath  in  the  first  hour  of  the  4th  of  March. 
.  .  .  If  any  circumsance  should  render  it  unfit  to  take  the 
oath  on  the  4th  of  March,  and  the  public  business  would 
sustain  no  injury  by  its  being  deferred  till  the  5th,  no  im 
propriety  is  perceived  in  deferring  it  till  the  5th.  Whether 
the  fact  that  the  4th  of  March  comes  this  year  on  Sunday 
be  such  a  circumstance  may,  perhaps,  depend  very  much 
on  public  opinion  and  feeling.  .  .  ." 

From  this  opinion  of  Chief  Justice  Marshall  it  is 
plain  that  the  Constitution  does  nt>t  prohibit  the  Presi 
dent-elect  from  taking  the  oath  and  entering  upon  his 
duties  immediately  after  midnight  of  March  3rd,  even  if 
March  4th  falls  on  Sunday.  There  has,  from  the  begin 
ning,  been  a  widespread  popular  notion  that  the  vice- 
president  or  some  lower  official  becomes  President  for 
one  day  when  Inauguration  Day  falls  on  Sunday.  This 

43 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

notion  is  wrong,  as  is  easily  seen  from  Justice  Marshall's 
opinion. 

Mar.  4  (1907) — Act  of  Congress  approved  by  Presi 
dent  Roosevelt,  appropriating  "for  traveling  expenses  of 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  to  be  expended  by  him 
at  his  discretion  and  accounted  for  by  his  certificate 
solely,  $25,000,"  year  1907.  President  Roosevelt  received 
$75,000  for  salary  and  expenses  of  the  last  year  of  his  ad 
ministration.  The  next  Congress  definitely  fixed  the 
salary  of  the  office  at  $75,000  a  year,  of  which  $25,000  is 
appropriated  for  traveling  expenses.  (See  March  3.) 

BOSTON  MASSACRE 
March  5,  1770 

In  September,  1768,  the  British  Ministry  ordered  two 
regiments,  the  14th  and  29th,  from  their  station  at  Hali 
fax  to  Boston,  with  the  evident  purpose  to  overawe  the 
Massachusetts  Colonists  who,  according  to  Governor 
Bernard,  were  on  the  verge  of  insurrection  because  the 
British  commissioners  of  customs  had  become  unusually 
active  in  collecting  duties.  The  29th  regiment  encamped 
on  Boston  Common,  and  the  14th  was  quartered  in  Fan- 
euil  Hall.  For  seventeen  months  these  two  regiments 
overawed  the  patriots  of  Boston.  As  was  to  have  been 
expected,  the  great  mass  of  the  people  of  the  city  grew  to 
hate  the  British  soldiers,  and  openly  abused  them.  The 
conduct  of  the  soldiers  in  such  trying  circumstances  was 
exceptionally  good,  though  of  course  the  strictest  dis 
cipline  could  not  prevent  occasional  brawls  and  fist  fights. 

In  the  early  evening  of  March  5,  1770,  a  crowd  of 
rough  boys  and  some  older  brawlers  of  the  town  got  into 
an  altercation  with  the  British  sentry  who  paced  his  beat 
before  the  Custom  House.  The  roughs  seemed  bent  on 
starting  a  fight.  The  soldier  retreated  up  the  steps  of  the 
Custom  House  and  called  for  help.  Captain  Preston,  the 
British  officer  of  the  guard,  quickly  came  with  a  file  of 
eight  soldiers  who  stood  in  line  with  the  sentry  with 

44 


MARCH 

loaded  muskets  and  faced  the  mob.  The  mob,  now  grown 
large  and  savage,  shouted  coarse  insults,  threw  icy  snow 
balls,  and  pressed  forward  to  the  very  muzzles  of  the  guns 
as  if  to  attack.  In  the  great  noise,  some  one  other  than 
Captain  Preston  did  order  the  soldiers  to  fire  and  they 
discharged  their  guns  blindly  at  the  mob.  Three  persons 
were  killed  outright  and  eight  wounded.  On  the  moonlit 
snow  the  blood  was  seen  distinctly,  the  first  blood  of  the 
American  Revolution.  The  whole  town  arose  in  wild 
confusion  and  a  terrible  street  battle  was  imminent.  But 
the  acting  governor,  Thomas  Hutchinson,  made  a  cool 
and  wise  address,  asking  the  people  to  withdraw,  and  the 
British  officers  to  send  their  men  to  their  barracks,  prom 
ising  that  legal  justice  should  be  done.  The  people  dis 
persed.  Captain  Preston  and  the  nine  soldiers  were  ar 
rested,  charged  with  murder.  They  were  tried  before  a 
Massachusetts  court  seven  months  later.  John  Adams 
and  Josiah  Quincy  defended  them.  All  the  soldiers  were 
acquitted  except  two  who  were  found  guilty  of  man 
slaughter,  but  who  escaped  with  slight  punishment.  For 
a  long  time  American  orators  and  writers  were  prone  to 
exaggerate  the  significance  of  the  so-called  "massacre." 
It  is  now  regarded  as  a  mere  unfortunate  incident,  in 
which  both  parties  were  to  blame.  It  is  an  error  to  in 
clude  this  event  among  the  great  causes  of  the  American 
Revolution. 

Mar.  6  (1831) — Philip  Henry  Sheridan,  soldier,  lieu 
tenant  general,  born  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  year  1831 ;  died  at 
Nonquitt,  Mass.,  Aug.  5,  1888.  He  ranks  after  Grant 
and  Sherman  as  the  most  successful  Union  general  of 
the  Civil  War.  A  romantic  incident  at  the  battle  of  Ce 
dar  Creek,  Va.,  was  immortalized  by  James  Buchanan 
Reid  in  a  poem  entitled,  "Sheridan's  Ride."  (See  Oct.  19.) 

Mar.  6  (1836) — Massacre  of  the  Alamo,  year  1836. 
The  Alamo  was  a  mission  station  near  San  Antonio, 
Texas,  turned  into  a  fort  in  the  war  between  Texas  and 
Mexico.  It  was  besieged  by  a  force  of  Mexicans  and 

45 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

after  two  weeks  was  assaulted  and  captured.  All  but  six 
of  the  183  defenders  died  fighting,  including  Col.  James 
Bowie  and  Col.  William  Travis.  Col.  David  Crockett 
was  one  of  the  six  who  surrendered.  He  was  killed 
shortly  afterwards  by  the  Mexican  soldiers. 

Mar.  6  (1857) — Dred  Scott  decision  delivered  by 
Chief  Justice  Roger  Brooke  Taney  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme 
Court,  year  1857.  Dred  Scott  was  a  negro  slave,  owned 
by  Dr.  Emerson,  an  army  surgeon,  who  brought  him 
from  Missouri  to  Rock  Island,  111.,  and  to  Fort  Snelling, 
Minn.,  in  each  of  which  places  he  remained  two  years 
(1834-1838)  serving  his  master.  The  master  took  him 
back  to  Missouri,  and  there  Scott  sued  for  his  liberty, 
claiming  that  he  had  been  freed  by  residence  in  the  free 
territory  north  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line.  The  majority 
of  the  court  decided  that  the  Missouri  act  of  1820,  pro 
hibiting  slavery  in  the  -Louisiana  territory  north  of  36° 
30'  (see  Missouri  Compromise)  was  unconstitutional ; 
that  slavery  was,  in  effect,  a  national  institution,  which 
could  not  be  regulated  by  Congress,  but  only  by  State 
legislature.  Therefore,  in  effect,  Dred  Scott  was  held  to 
be  still  a  slave,  notwithstanding  his  four  years'  residence 
north  of  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line.  The  decision  was 
overwhelmingly  condemned  by  the  people  of  the  North. 
The  Republican  leaders  openly  declared  they  would  not 
be  bound  by  it.  The  event  was  one  of  the  proximate 
causes  of  the  Civil  War.  Dred  Scott  himself  was  imme 
diately  freed  by  his  master,  regardless  of  the  decision. 

Mar.  7  (1862)— Battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  Ark.,  year  1862. 
Gen.  Samuel  R.  Curtis  (Union,  18,000  men  estimated)  vs. 
Gen.  Sterling  Price  (Confederate,  20,000  men  estimated). 
Union  victory.  Unixm  loss  1,349  total.  Confederate  loss 
estimated  at  5,200. 

Mar.  8  (1765) — Stamp  Act  passed  by  England's 
House  of  Lords,  year  1765.  (See  Boston  Tea  Party. 
Dec.  16.) 

46 


MARCH 

Mar.  8  (1916) — Gen.  Pancho  Villa,  Mexican  military 
leader,  with  a  force  of  several  hundred  Mexican  bandits, 
crossed  the  border  into  the  United  States  at  a  place 
ninety  miles  west  of  El  Paso,  and  assaulted  the  border 
U.  S.  army  post  at  Columbus,  New  Mexico,  which  was 
garrisoned  by  a  small  force  of  United  States  soldiers. 
Seventeen  Americans  were  killed,  including  some  sol 
diers,  and  several  buildings  in  the  town  were  looted  and 
burned.  The  raiders  were  driven  back  into  Mexico  next 
day.  A  week  later,  on  March  15th,  a  United  States  expe 
ditionary  force  of  4,000  men  under  Gen.  John  J.  Pershing 
marched  into  Mexico  in  pursuit  of  Villa.  The  force  pene 
trated  200  miles  into  the  interior  of  Mexico,  but  failed  to 
capture  the  bandit  leader.  The  Columbus  raid  was  the 
proximate  cause  of  the  crisis  in  which  President  Wilson 
called  out  100,000  militia  (June  18,  1916)  for  service  in 
an  anticipated  war  with  Mexico.  The  crisis  passed  with 
out  war,  except  for  the  punitive  operations  of  the  force 
under  General  Pershing. 

BATTLE  OF  THE  MONITOR  AND  THE  MERRI- 

MAC 
March  9,  1862 

The  Confederate  States  of  America  produced  the  first 
iron-clad  war  ship  in  America,  in  the  winter  of  1861-1862. 
A  wooden  steam  frigate,  the  Merrimac,  was  rebuilt,  her 
sides  cut  down  to  near  the  water's  edge,  and  a  sort  of 
house,  170  feet  long  and  7  feet  high  was  built  over  the 
ship ;  the  sides  of  this  "house"  were  covered  with  iron 
plates  4  inches  thick.  A  ram  of  cast  iron,  4  feet  long,  was 
bolted  to  the  bow  below  the  water-line.  Inside  this  ar 
mor-plated  "house"  were  mounted  ten  guns — two  7-inch 
rifles,  two  6-inch  rifles,  and  6  smooth-bore  guns.  At  that 
time,  she  was  the  most  formidable  war  ship  in  the  world. 
The  Confederates  could  not  conceal  their  purpose  to  hur 
riedly  finish  this  ship  and  send  her  to  destroy  the  Fed 
eral  fleet  at  Hampton  Roads  which  interfered  with  sup 
plies  intended  for  General  Lee's  army. 

47 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Meanwhile  the  Union  leaders  at  Washington  sought 
strenuously,  in  a  mind  bordering  on  panic,  to  evolve  some 
means  of  meeting  the  menace.  They  realized  that  the 
new  Confederate  naval  monster  might  easily  destroy  the 
entire  Federal  fleet,  and  even  steam  into  New  York  har 
bor  with  impunity. 

There  lived  at  New  York  Captain  John  Ericsson,  a 
Swede  who  had  immigrated,  an  inventor.  He  planned  a 
new  type  of  warship  which  he  called  Monitor,  and  of 
fered  it  to  the  Federal  government.  The  plans  were  ac 
cepted  and  he  was  ordered  to  go  ahead  at  once  and  build 
his  ship.  He  built  the  Monitor  at  New  York,  early  in 
1862.  The  craft  was'  172  feet  long,  41  feet  beam,  and 
drew  10  feet  of  water;  her  displacement  was  776  tons. 
The  deck  rose  but  15  inches  above  the  water-line.  On 
the  center  of  the  deck  was  a  circular  turret  20  feet  inside 
diameter,  and  9  feet  high.  The  turret  walls  were  of  iron, 
8  inches  thick.  The  turret  was  set  on  rails,  and  was 
turned  by  an  engine.  Within  this  citadel  were  mounted 
two  large  guns,  11-inch  Dahlgren  guns,  each  of  which 
would  fire  a  solid  shot  weighing  180  pounds — the  most 
powerful  guns  ever  mounted  in  a  warship  up  to  that 
time;  the  charge  was  15  pounds  of  powder.  The  best 
speed  of  the  craft  was  seven  miles  an  hour. 

The  people  of  New  York  thought  it  the  queerest 
craft  ever  seen.  Newspapers  described  it  as  "a  cheese 
box  on  a  raft." 

On  March  6,  1862,  the  Monitor  left  New  York  har 
bor  for  Hampton  Roads,  Va.,  and  not  an  hour  too  soon 
as  the  event  proved.  Her  commander  was  Lieutenant 
John  L.  Worden. 

On  the  morning  of  March  8th,  while  the  Monitor 
was  still  far  away  on  the  ocean,  the  Merrimac  steamed 
from  her  berth  at  Norfolk  and  headed  for  the  Federal 
fleet  at  Hampton  Roads.  Her  commander  was  Captain 
Franklin  Buchanan.  She  sank  the  Cumberland  sloop,  cap 
tured  the  frigate  Congress,  and  was  ready  to  destroy  the 

48 


MARCH 

rest  of  the  fleet,  when  darkness  came.  She  hauled  off  to 
await  morning.  It  had  been  the  most  disastrous  day  in  the 
history  of  the  U.  S.  Navy. 

That  night  the  Monitor  arrived  and  anchored  quietly 
near  the  Federal  ships  to  be  their  champion  in  the  morn 
ing. 

Next  morning,  Sunday,  March  9,  the  Monitor  steamed 
boldly  to  meet  the  oncoming  Merrimac.  Then  followed  one 
of  the  most  momentous  naval  battles  in  all  history.  The 
Merrimac  had  a  crew  of  320  men.  The  Monitor  had  nine 
officers  and  53  men.  But  it  was  a  battle  of  iron,  and  not  of 
blood.  For  three  hours  the  two  ships  manoeuvred  and  fired 
at  each  other.  The  Monitor  fired  a  total  of  41  shots.  The 
Merrimac  fired  many  more  than  this,  and  22  shots  hit  the 
Monitor,  but  with  little  injury.  Twenty  of  the  Monitor's 
shots  left  indentations  in  the  Mcrrimac's  armor,  but  no  shot 
pierced  her  side.  However,  the  armor  of  the  Merrimac  was 
strained  and  she  began  to  leak.  So  she  retired  for  repairs. 
Strange  to  say,  not  one  man  was  killed  in  either  ship,  and 
only  a  few  were  injured.  Though  it  was  technically  a  drawn 
battle,  it  was  actually  a  great  moral  victory  for  the  North, 
for  the  little  Monitor  had  stopped  the  terrible  ironclad  which 
had  frightened  the  entire  North. 

Mar.  10  (1849) — Patent  for  cut  off  and  valve  for 
steam  engines  granted  to  Seth  Boyden  (born  at  Foxboro, 
Mass.,  Nov.  17,  178&),  the  inventor,  year  1849.  This  was 
one  of  the  most  important  of  all  inventions  in  the  de 
velopment  of  the  steam  engine. 

Mar.  11  (1794) — Act  passed  by  Congress  authorizing 
the  building  of  six  warships,  year  1794.  This  was  the 
founding  of  the  U.  S.  Navy. 

Mar.  11  (1832) — Twenty-one  pioneers  under  Na 
thaniel  Wyeth,  left  Boston  for  Oregon,  overland,  via  Bal 
timore,  Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis,  Independence, 
and  the  western  path  afterwards  named  "The  Oregon 
Trail,"  year  1832.  Eight  of  them  reached  Oregon,  at  the 
Columbia  River  on  Oct.  29th  of  the  same  year.  These 

49 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

were  the  first  white  settlers  of  the  North  West  from  the 
East. 

Mar.  12  (1789)— General  Post  Office  established  by 
Congress,  year  1789.  Samuel  Osgood  was  appointed  first 
>stmaster  general. 

Mar.  12  (1867) — Last  of  the  French  army  in  Mexico, 
under  Marshal  Bazaine,  numbering  a  total  of  28,690  men, 
embarked  for  Europe  and  left  Mexico,  year  1867.  In  this 
the  government  of  France  under  Napoleon  III.  which 
had  established  the  Mexican  empire,  yielded  to  the  Mon 
roe  Doctrine  of  the  United  States,  which  demanded  that 
they  leave  Mexico. 

Mar.  13  (1884) — The  system  of  standard  time  was 
established  by  Congress,  year  1884.  An  appropriation 
was  made  to  provide  for  a  time  ball  at  Washington  and 
instantaneous  telegraphing  of  the  noon  hour  over  the 
country. 

Mar.  14  (1765)— Cotton  Gin  patented  by  Eli  Whit 
ney,  its  inventor,  year  1765. 

BIRTHDAY   OF   ANDREW  JACKSON,   SEVENTH 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

March  15,  1767 

Andrew  Jackson  was  born  at  Waxhaw,  North  Caro 
lina,  on  March  15,  1767.  He  died  at  his  home,  "The 
Hermitage,"  near  Nashville,  Tenn.,  on  June  8,  1845,  aged 
seventy-eight  years.  His  parents  had  immigrated  from 
Ireland  two  years  before  the  birth  of  the  boy.  His  father 
died  a  few  days  after  the  birth,  leaving  the  widow  noth 
ing  but  a  few  pieces  of  rude  frontier  furniture.  She 
worked  hard  in  rough  occupations  to  support  herself  and 
three  sons.  Andrew  got  little  book  learning.  He  joined 
the  patriot  army  of  the  Revolutionary  Wrar  when  he  was 
but  fourteen.  He  was  taken  prisoner  in  1781.  His 
mother,  to  be  near  her  son,  volunteered  to  help  care  for 
the  American  prisoners  at  Charleston,  S.  C. ;  she  died  on 
the  journey  there.  The  two  oldest  boys  had  died  in  the 

50 


MARCH 

war.  Thus  it  seems  young  Jackson's  career  could  hardly 
be  less  promising  at  this  time.  He  is  said  to  have  been 
wild  and  gay,  fond  of  horse  racing  and  cock  fighting. 
However,  he  began  to  study  law  when  seventeen  years 
old,  and  three  years  later  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
North  Carolina.  He  early  showed  qualities  of  leadership. 
He  removed  to  Nashville,  Term.,  and  in  1790  was  made 
United  States  attorney  for  that  district.  It  was  then  he 
adopted  the  political  doctrines  of  Thomas  Jefferson.  At 
the  age  of  thirty  years,  in  1797,  he  was  appointed  U.  S. 
Senator  from  Tennessee.  When  he  went  to  Philadelphia, 
an  uncouth  frontiersman,  he  was  ridiculed.  From  1798 
to  1804  he  was  Judge  of  the  Superior  Courts  of  Tennes 
see.  He  resigned  to  become  major  general  of  the  militia 
of  the  State.  Strange  to  say,  the  only  American  military 
commander  of  the  War  of  1812  who  acquired  lasting  fame 
was  Andrew  Jackson,  who  .had  no  military  schooling,  and 
little  school  education  of  any  kind.  He  subjugated  the 
great  Creek  Indian  nation  in  1814.  The  country  hailed 
him  as  a  great  new  commander.  He  was  made  a  major 
general  in  the  regular  army,  and  given  command  of  the 
Department  of  the  South. 

A  British  army  of  12,000  veterans  commanded  by 
General  Pakenham  moved  to  capture  New  Orleans,  and 
then  take  possession  of  all  Louisiana.  Jackson  collected 
6,000  men,  all  pioneer  woodsmen  except  800  regulars, 
built  barricades  of  cotton  bales  and  dug  intrenchments  to 
defend  New  Orleans.  On  Jan.  8,  1815,  the  British  army 
attacked  but  was  terribly  beaten ;  they  lost  2,600  men. 
The  American  loss  was  8  killed  and  13  wounded.  The 
victory  made  Jackson  the  popular  hero  of  the  nation. 

In  1824  he  was  nominated  for  President  by  the 
"Democratic"  party — a  new  group  from  the  former  De 
mocratic-Republican  party  of  Madison  and  Monroe. 
There  were  four  candidates.  Jackson  received  a  plurality 
of  51,000  in  a  total  vote  of  352,000,  but,  not  having  a  ma 
jority,  the  election  was  thrown  into  the  House  of  Repre- 

51 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

sentatives  which  elected  John  Quincy  Adams,  the  second 
highest  candidate. 

He  was  again  the  Democratic  candidate  in  1828,  and 
was  elected.  The  electoral  vote  was  (24  States)  :  Jack 
son,  178;  John  Quincy  Adams  (National  Republican),  83. 

In  1832  he  was  renominated  and  overwhelmingly  re- 
elected.  Electoral  vote — Jackson,  219;  Henry  Clay  (Na 
tional  Republican),  49;  John  Floyd  (Independent),  11; 
William  Wirt  (Anti-Masonic),  7. 

Jackson's  administration  is  best  known  in  American 
history  because  of  the  establishment.©!  what  is  known  as 
the  ''spoils  system"  in  American  politics.  It  is  said, 
though  not  proved,  that  Jackson  first  uttered  the  phrase, 
"To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils."  Certainly  he  inaugur 
ated  the  system  of  giving  political  appointments  only  to 
his  friends  and  supporters.  It  is  said  that  throughout  his 
life  he  acted  on  two  maxims  which  he  himself  framed  and 
often  repeated  aloud — "Give  up  no  friend  to  win  an  en 
emy,"  and  "Be  strong  with  your  friends  and  then  you 
can  defy  your  enemies." 

The  chief  events  of  his  administration  were:  Black 
Hawk  War  (1332),  Nullification  Movement  in  South 
Carolina  (1832),  Veto  of  the  Recharter  of  the  United 
States  Bank  (1832),  Seminole  War  (1835-1842). 

Andrew  Jackson  is  regarded  as  the  founder  of  the 
present  Democratic  party.  Unquestionably,  he  was  a  man 
of  genius,  and  one  of  the  most  striking  figures  in  Ameri 
can  history. 

Mar.  15  (1781)— Battle  of  Guilford  Court  House, 
N.  C,  year  1781.  Gen.  Nathanael  Greene  (American, 
5,000  men)  vs.  Lord  Cornwallis  (British,  6,000  men). 
British  victory.  American  loss  400  killed  and  wounded, 
and  1,000  desertions.  British  loss  600.  Greene  retreated, 
but  also  Cornwallis  retreated,  abandoning  domination  of 
North  Carolina,  thus,  in  effect,  allowing  an  American  vic 
tory.  (See  Yorktown,  Oct.  19th.) 

Mar.  15  (1889) — Great  hurricane  at  Apia,  Samoan 
52 


MARCH 

Islands,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  wrecked  U.  S.  warships 
Trenton,  Vandalia  and  Nipsic,  the  American  squadron 
which  had  been  assembled  under  Rear  Admiral  Kimber- 
ley  to  protect  American  interests  in  Samoa  against  Ger 
man  aggression,  year  1S89.  Fifty-one  Americans — offi 
cers  and  men — perished.  Two  German  cruisers  were  also 
destroyed  with  nearly  all  their  crews. 

Mar.  16  (1751) — James  Madison,  fourth  President  of 
the  United  States,  born  in  King  George  County,  Va.,  year 
1751;  died  at  Montpelier,  Va.,  June  28,  1836.  Candidate 
of  the  Democratic-Republican  party  (the  Jeffersonian 
party)  for  President  in  1808  and  elected :  Electoral  vote — 
Madison,  122;  Charles  C.  Pinckney  (Federalist),  47; 
George  Clinton  (Democratic-Republican),  6.  Inaugur 
ated  March  4,  1809.  Renominated  and  reelected  in  1812 : 
Electoral  vote— Madison,  128;  De  Witt  Clinton  (Fed 
eralist),  89.  Served  two  full  terms.  During  his  second 
administration  the  War  of  1812  was  waged.  He  was  a 
brilliant  writer  and  contributed  many  of  the  political  es 
says  grouped  under  the  title  "The  Federalist"  which 
powerfully  influenced  public  opinion  during  the  framing 
of  the  Constitution  in  1787-1788. 

Mar.  16  (1802) — West  Point  Military  Academy  es 
tablished  by  Congress,  year  1802. 

Mar.  17  (1776)— British  evacuated  Boston,  year  1776. 

Mar.  17  (1898)— Holland  Aro.  p,  the  first  submarine 
war  vessel  of  the  American  navy  and  the  first  of  modern 
submarines,  made  its  first  dive  in  Staten  Island  Sound, 
N.  Y.,  year  1898.  It  remained  under  water  about  one 
hour  and  forty  minutes.  It  was  invented  by  John  P.  Hol 
land,  an  American. 

Mar.  18  (1782)— John  Caldwell  Calhoun,  statesman, 
born  at  Ninety-Six,  S.  C.,  year  1782;  died  at  Washington, 
D.  C.,  March  31,  1850.  Was  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States  in  the  administrations  of  President  John  Quincy 
Adams  (1825-1829)  and  the  first  term  of  President  Jack 
son  (1829-1833).  Then  was  elected  U.  S.  Senator  from 

53 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

South  Carolina.  Was  the  leading  advocate  of  "State 
Rights"  during  ten  years  following.  Was  the  most  potent 
influence  in  bringing  about  "Nullification." 

Mar.  18  (1837) — Grover  Cleveland,  twenty-second 
President  of  the  United  States,  born  at  Caldwell,  N.  J., 
year  1837,  died  at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  June  24,  1908.  When 
governor  of  New  York,  was  nominated,  in  1884,  by  the 
Democratic  party  for  President  and  elected.  Electoral 
vote  (38  States):  Cleveland,  219;  James  G.  Elaine  (Re 
publican),  182.  Inaugurated  March  4,  1885.  Renomi- 
nated  by  the  Democrats  in  1888  and  defeated.  Electoral 
vote  (38  States):  Cleveland,  168;  Benjamin  Harrison 
(Republican),  233.  Nominated  by  the  Democrats  a  third 
time  in  1892  and  elected.  Electoral  vote  (38  States)  : 
Cleveland,  277;  Harrison  (Republican),  145.  Inaugur 
ated  March  4,  1893,  for  the  term  ending  in  1897.  Presi 
dent  Cleveland  lives  in  American  history  as  one  of  the 
strongest  personalities  among  the  list  of  Presidents.  His 
administrations  were  chiefly  notable  because  of  the  rise  of 
the  "Free  Silver"  issue,  the  financial  panic  of  1893,  and 
the  difficulty  with  England  regarding  the  boundary  dis 
pute  between  Venezuela  and  the  British  colony  of 
Guiana.  (See  Venezuelan  Message,  Dec.  17,  1895.) 

In  his  annual  message  to  Congress,  dated  Dec.  6, 
1887,  which  was  devoted  entirely  to  the  Tariff  question, 
he  used  the  following  sentence :  "It  is  a  condition  which 
confronts  us — not  a  theory."  This  will  always  remain 
one  of  the  most  trenchant  sentences  in  American  literary 
history. 

The  phrase  "innocuous  desuetude"  which  attracted 
the  attention  of  all  the  English  speaking  world,  was  used 
in  a  special  message  he  sent  to  Congress  on  March  1, 
1886,  dealing  with  the  question  of  the  right  of  the  Presi 
dent  to  remove  Federal  officeholders.  Mr.  Cleveland 
strongly  objected  to  the  attitude  of  the  Senate  which,  at 
that  time,  claimed  to  have  power  to  review  and  nullify 
the  act  of  the  President  removing  a  Federal  office  holder. 

54 


MARCH 

The  Senate  held  that,  under  the  "Tenure-of-Office"  acts 
passed  by  Congress  in  1867  to  limit  the  power  of  Presi 
dent  Andrew  Johnson — to  whom  Congress  was  bitterly 
opposed — it  could  nullify  the  act  of  President  Cleveland 
removing  the  district  attorney  of- the  Northern  District 
of  Alabama.  In  his  message,  Mr.  Cleveland  wrote  the 
following  sarcastic  paragraph : 

"And  so  it  happens  that  after  an  existence  of  twenty 
years  of  .almost  innocuous  desuetude  these  laws  are 
brought  forth." 

Mar.  18  (1818) — First  pension  act  passed  by  Con 
gress,  year  1818.  It  provided  $20  a  month  to  officers  and 
$8  a  month  to  privates  who  had  served  nine  months  or 
more  in  the  Continental  army  or  navy  (during  the  War 
of  the  Revolution)  on  proof  of  need. 

Mar.  19  (1690) — Call  issued  for  the  first  Congress  of 
American  Colonies,  year  1690.  This  call  was  issued  by 
the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts.  It  proposed  that 
the  New  England  colonies,  and  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Maryland  and  Virginia  should  unite  on  some  plan  to  as 
sist  each  other  against  the  French  and  Indians  who  had 
then  begun  a  savage  or  barbarous  warfare  in  King  Wil 
liam's  War.  Following  this  call,  representatives  from 
Massachusetts,  Plymouth,  Connecticut  and  New  York 
met  at  New  York,  and  on  May  1,  signed  an  agreement 
to  raise  an  army.  Virginia,  Maryland,  New  Jersey,  New 
Hampshire  and  Rhode  Island  were  not  represented,  but 
the  people  of  those  colonies  were  in  sympathy  with  the 
movement,  and  did  later  enter  into  the  confederation. 

Mar.  19  (1860) — William  Jennings  Bryan,  states 
man,  born  at  Salem,  111.,  year  1860.  Nominated  for  Presi 
dent  by  the  Democratic  party  in  1896;  defeated  by  Wil 
liam  McKinley.  Electoral  vote — McKinley  (Repub 
lican),  271;  Bryan,  176.  Again  nominated  for  President 
in  1900  by  Democratic,  Populist,  and  Silver  Republican 
parties.  Defeated  again  by  William  McKinley :  Electoral 
vote — McKinley,  292;  Bryan,  155.  Nominated  a  third 

55 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

time  for  President  by  the  Democratic  party,  in  1908;  de 
feated  by  William  H.  Taft.  Electoral  vote— Taft,  321 ; 
Bryan,  162. 

Mar.  19  (1766) — Stamp  Act  repealed  by  English 
House  of  Lords,  year*  1766.  (See  "The  Boston  Tea 
Party,"  Dec.  16,  1773.) 

Mar.  19  (1898)— U.  S.  S.Oregon,  battleship  (Captain 
Charles  Edgar  Clarke),  began  trip  of  14,000  miles  from 
San  Francisco  to  Key  West,  year  1898.  Arrived  at  Key 
West  May  26,  after  a  voyage  of  sixty-eight  days.  (See 
Naval  Battle  of  Santiago,  July  3,  1898.) 

Mar.  20  (183£) — Surrender  of  Col.  James  W.  Fannin, 
Texan  leader,  and  400  Texans  to  a  Mexican  force,  in  the 
war  between  Texas  and  Mexico,  year  1836.  One  week 
later,  the  prisoners  were  by  the  Mexicans  massacred,  all 
but  twenty-six  who  escaped.  Col.  Fannin  was  killed. 

Mar.  21  (1791) — Bank  of  New  York  incorporated, 
year  1791.  Gulian  Verplank  was  elected  first  president. 
The  directors  were  Isaac  Roosevelt,  William  Maxwell, 
Thomas  Randall,  Daniel  McCormick,  Nicholas  Low,  Wil 
liam  Constable,  Joshua  Waddington,  Samuel  Franklin, 
Comfort  Sands,  Robert  Brown,  Gulian  Verplank,  John 
Murray,  William  Edgar  and  Rufus  King.  These  men 
constituted  the  first  capitalistic  group  of  the  metropolis. 

Mar.  21  (1918) — Commencement  of  the  great  German 
offensive  known  as  the  Battle  of  Picardy.  This  was  the 
first  great  battle  of  the  German  War  in  which  American 
troops  regularly  participated  as  battle  units. 

Mar.  22  (1847) — Bombardment  of  Vera  Cruz,  Mex 
ico,  by  an  American  army  of  13,000  men  and  a  naval  force, 
under  command  of  Gen.  Winfield  Scott,  year  1847.  The 
city  was  captured  four  days  later.  *  One  week  after  the 
capture,  Gen.  Scott  began  his  march  to  the  City  of  Mex 
ico,  which  he  entered,  after  a  series  of  fierce  battles,  on 
Sept.  14,  1847,  thus  ending  the  Mexican  War. 

Mar.  23  (1775)— Patrick  Henry  delivered  his  greatest 
speech  to  the  second  revolutionary  convention  of  Vir- 

56 


MARCH 

ginia,  at  Richmond,  year  1775.  He  introduced  resolu 
tions  committing  the  Colony  to  military  preparedness  for 
war  against  Great  Britain.  He  said,  ending  his  speech, 
"I  know  not  what  course  others  may  take,  but  as  for  me, 
give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death !" 

Mar.  23  (1868) — Impeachment  trial  of  President  An 
drew  Johnson,  charged  with  high  misdemeanors  in  office, 
commenced,  year  1868.  The  trial  before  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  lasted  three  days.  The  vote  was — For 
Johnson,  35 ;  against  him,  19.  Thus  he  was  acquitted.  • 

Mar.  23  (1899) — Emilio  Aguinaldo,  leader  of  the  Fi 
lipino  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  was  captured 
by  a  small  party  of  soldiers  under  Gen.  Frederick  Funs- 
ton,  year  1899.  The  capture  practically  ended  the  re 
bellion. 

Mar.  24  (1636) — Rhode  Island  (Indian  name  Aquid- 
neck)  purchased  by  William  Coddington  and  other  exiles 
from  Massachusetts  from  the  Indian  chief  Miantonomo 
for  forty  fathoms  of  white  beads,  year  1636.  A  settle 
ment  was  immediately  made  at  Newport. 

Mar.  24  (1916) — Steamship  Sussex  of  the  London, 
Brighton  &  South  Coast  Ry.  Company  fleet,  crossing  the 
English  Channel  from  Folkestone,  England,  to  Dieppe, 
France,  and  flying  the  French  flag,  was  torpedoed  by  a 
German  submarine  near  the  French  coast  and  was 
wrecked,  year  1916.  There  were  on  board  325  passengers 
and  a  crew  of  53  men.  Twenty-five  of  the  passengers 
were  Americans.  A  total  of  eighty-six  persons  were 
killed  and  wounded  by  the  explosion.  The  ship  did  not 
sink,  and  was  towed  to  port.  The  incident  brought  a 
crisis  in  the  relations  of  the  United  States  and  Germany. 
On  April  18th  the  Government  of  the  United  States  sent 
to  the  German  Government  a  "note"  which  was,  in  effect, 
an  ultimatum,  including  the  following  words : 

"The  government  of  the  United  States  has  been  very 
patient.  ...  It  has  become  painfully  evident  to  it  [the 
government]  that  the  position  which  it  took  at  the  very 

57 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

outset  is  inevitable,  namely,  the  use  of  submarines  for 
the  destruction  of  an  enemy's  commerce,  is,  of  necessity, 
because  of  the  very  character  of  the  vessels  employed 
and  the  very  methods  of  attack  which  their  employment 
of  course  involves,  utterly  incompatible  with  the  prin 
ciples  of  humanity,  the  long  established  and  incontrover 
tible  rights  of  neutrals  and  the  sacred  immunities  of 
noncombatants.  .  .  .  Unless  the  Imperial  Government 
[Germany]  should  now  immediately  declare  and  effect 
an  abandonment  of  its  present  methods  of  submarine 
warfare  against  passenger  and  freight  carrying  vessels, 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  can  have  no  choice 
but  to  sever  diplomatic  relations  with  the  German  Em 
pire  altogether." 

The  note  was  signed  by  "Lansing"  as  Secretary  of 
State.  It  was  generally  believed  that  it  was  written  by 
President  Wilson.  Public  opinion  in  the  United  States 
during  two  weeks  following  the  despatch  of  this  note  in 
dorsed  the  action  of  President  Wilson,  and  recognized 
the  fact  that  war  with  Germany  was  imminent  because 
of  the  President's  action. 

On  May  1,  1916,  the  German  Government  replied, 
conceding,  in  effect,  the  righteousness  of  the  American 
attitude,  and  stating  that  the  following  order  had  been 
issued  to  German  naval  officers  commanding  submarines : 

"In  accordance  with  the  general  principles  of  visit 
and  search  and  the  destruction  of  merchant  vessels,  rec 
ognized  by  international  law,  such  vessels,  both  within 
and  without  the  area  declared  a  naval  war  zone,  shall  not 
be  sunk  without  warning  and  without  saving  human  lives 
unless  the  ships  attempt  to  escape  or  offer  resistance." 

This  reply  was  accepted  as  satisfactory,  and  thus  war 
between  the  two  nations  was  averted  for  a  time. 

Mar.  25  (1634)— The  first  Roman  Catholic  mass  in 
Maryland  was  celebrated  by  Father  Andrew  White,  S.J., 
on  St.  Clement's  Island  near  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac 
River,  year  1634.  The  worshippers  were  the  first  settlers 

58 


MARCH 

of  Maryland  who  had  arrived  at  Point  Comfort,  Va.,  a 
short  time  before,  under  the  leadership  of  Leonard  Cal- 
vert,  a  brother  of  Cecil  Calvert  (Lord  Baltimore).  There 
were,  so  Lord  Baltimore  later  wrote,  "very  near  twenty 
other  gentlemen  of  very  good  fashion  and  300  laboring 
men."  Two  days  later,  they  laid  out  the  town  or  city  of 
St.  Mary's  on  the  St.  Mary's  River,  a  branch  of  the  Poto 
mac,  and  thus  the  colony  of  Maryland  was  founded.  This 
date  is  the  most  distinctively  Catholic  anniversary  in 
American  history.  The  following  opinion  was  written 
in  the  year  1918,  for  publication  in  this  volume,  by 
Thomas  F.  Meehan,  associate  editor  of  the  Catholic  Ency 
clopedia  and  authoritative  Catholic  historian :  "From  this 
event — the  celebration  of  the  first  Mass  on  St.  Clement's 
Island — follow  in  unbroken  sequence:  Public  Catholic 
worship ;  religious  toleration ;  the  first  native-born 
priests;  the  first  native-born  religious,  men  and  women; 
the  Hierarchy;  Catholic  education,  the  first  schools  and 
the  first  college;  the  first  civic  organization,  St.  Mary's 
City." 

Mar.  26  (1794) — First  Embargo  Act  passed  by  Con 
gress,  year  1794.  It  continued  in  force  sixty  days,  during 
which  time  all  American  commerce  with  foreign  coun 
tries  was  stopped.  The  measure  grew  out  of  indignation 
against  the  government  of  Great  Britain,  which,  in  its 
war  against  France,  was  arbitrarily  searching  and  confis 
cating  American  ships  and  cargoes  bound  for  France. 

Mar.  27  (1513) — Ponce  de  Leon,  sailing  from  Porto 
Rico  in  search  of  the  miraculous  island  "Bimini"  wherein 
was  said  to  be  the  "Fountain  of  Youth,"  discovered  land 
on  Easter  Sunday  (Spanish  Pascua  de  Flores),  year  1513. 
Because  of  the  abundance  of  flowers,  he  named  the  land 
Florida.  -  !  ••!•*!"!$ 

:     , ;  i   '*  •    :  .* 

Mar.  28  (1846)— Gen.  Zachary  Taylor,  with  an 
American  army  of  4,000  men,  crossed  the  Rio  Grande  and 
established  Fort  Brown  on  Mexican  soil,  thus  beginning 
the  Mexican  War,  year  1846. 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Mar.  29  (1638) — First  settlement  in  Delaware,  by 
Swedes  under  Peter  Minuit,  at  Christiana  (now  Wilming 
ton),  year  1638. 

Mar.  29  (1790)— John  Tyler,  tenth  President  of  the 
United  States,  born  in  Charles  City  County,  Va.,  year 
1790;  died  at  Richmond,  Va.,  Jan.  18,  1862.  Was  nomi 
nated  for  Vice-President  by  the  Whig  party  in  1840  and 
elected.  Was  inaugurated  Vice-President  on  March  4, 
1841,  and  on  April  5  following,  was  inaugurated  as 
President  to  fill  the  place  of  President  William  Henry 
Harrison  who  had  died.  Served  as  President  until  March 
4,  1845.  After  the  organization  of  the  Confederacy,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Confederate  Congress,  and 
was  a  member  at  the  time  of  his  death.  The  chief  event 
during  his  administration  was  the  passage  of  the  Act 
admitting  Texas  into  the  Union. 

Mar.  30  (1842) — Ether  first  used  as  an  anesthetic, 
by  Dr.  Charles  Thomas  Jackson  of  Boston,  year  1842. 
The  discovery  has  been  claimed  for  Dr.  William  T.  G. 
Morton  who  studied  under  Dr.  Jackson.  The  record 
shows  that  on  Sept.  30,  1846,  Dr.  Morton  administered 
ether  to  a  patient  successfully.  In  1852,  the  French 
Academy  of  Sciences  recognized  Dr.  Jackson  as  the  dis 
coverer,  and  Dr.  Morton  as  the  first  to  apply  the  dis 
covery  in  surgical  operations. 

Mar.  30  (1867)— Alaska  was  ceded  by  Russia  to  the 
United  States,  year  1867.  The  sum  of  $7,200,000  was  paid 
to  Russia  for  the  territory. 

Mar.  31  (1.854)— First  treaty  between  United  States 
and  Japan  signed,  year  1854.  In  1852,  the  United  States 
sent  a  squadron  of  war  ships  to  Japanese  and  Chinese 
waters,  under  the  command  of  Commodore  Matthew  Gal- 
braith  Perry  (a  brother  of  Oliver  Hazard  Perry).  In 
1853  he  entered  the  harbor  of  Yokohama,  Japan,  with  his 
squadron  and  delivered  to  the  emperor  of  Japan  a  letter 
from  President  Franklin  Pierce,  opening  the  question  of 
commercial  relations  between  the  two  nations.  Next 

60 


MARCH 

year  he  returned  to  Yokohama,  and  negotiated  the  treaty 
of  peace,  amity  and  protection  to  American  sailors  with 
the  Japanese  commissioners,  which  he  signed  on  behalf 
of  the  United  States. 

Mar.  31  (1918) — At  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  of 
Easter  Sunday,  year  1918,  the  clocks  of  the  entire  nation 
were  turned  ahead  one  hour,  making  the  apparent  time 
3  o'clock.  The  procedure  was  in  accordance  with  an  Act 
of  Congress  intended  to  "save  daylight"  and  thus  con 
serve  fuel  for  lighting.  The  Act  provided  that  the  clocks 
should  be  turned  back  one  hour  on  the  following  "last 
Sunday  in  October"  which  was  October  27,  when  the 
short  days  made  desirable  a  return  to  Standard  time  for 
beginning  daily  work. 


61 


APRIL 

April  1  (1865)— Battle  of  Five  Forks,  Va.,  year  1865. 
Gen.  P.  H.  Sheridan  (Union,  35,000  men)  vs.  General 
George  E.  Pickett  (Confederate,  15,000  men).  Union 
victory.  The  Confederates  were  intrenched.  The  battle 
began  about  4  p.  m.  The  Union  forces  rushed  forward 
on  front  and  flank  of  the  Confederate  intrenchments  and 
overwhelmed  them ;  the  struggle  lasted  less  than  an  hour. 
Union  loss,  635  killed  and  wounded,  100  missing;  Con 
federate  loss,  about  500  killed  and  wounded  and  4,500 
prisoners.  This  was  the  greatest  battle  of  the  Civil  War 
in  which  the  attacking  force  was  largely  cavalry.  Sheri 
dan's  cavalry  numbered  about  20,000  men. 

April  2  (1792) — United  States  Mint  established,  year 
1792. 

April  3  (1783) — Washington  .Irving,  author,  born  at 
New  York,  year  1783;  died  at  his  home  "Sunnyside,"  near 
Tarrytown,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  28,  1859.  His  "Life  of  Colum 
bus,"  "Knickerbocker's  History"  and  "Sketch  Book"  are 
best  known.  It  was  estimated  that  600,000  volumes  of 
his  works  were  sold  in  the  United  States  during  his  life 
time. 

April  3  (1816)— The  United  States  Bank  was  char 
tered  by  act  of  Congress,  for  twenty-one  years,  year  1816. 
Its  capital  was  $35,000,000.  Twenty-five  directors  were 
provided  for,  of  whom  five  were  appointed  by  the  Gov 
ernment.  President  Andrew  Jackson,  declaring  that  the 
Bank  fostered  the  growth  of  a  capitalistic  oligarchy  and 
was  dangerous  to  a  Democracy,  opposed  the  renewal  of 
the  charter,  and  in  1836  it  went  out  of  existence. 

April  3  (1822) — Edward  Everett  Hale,  clergyman 
(Unitarian)  and  author,  born  at  Boston,  year  1822;  died 
at  Boston,  June  10,  1909.  His  best-known  book  is  "A 
Man  Without  a  Country."  In  "Ten  Times  One  is  Ten" 
he  wrote  the  motto  of  the  "Lend  a  Hand  Club" : 

63 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

"Look  up  and  not  down, 

Look  forward  and  not  back, 
Look  out  and  not  in,  and 

Lend  a  Hand." 

April  3  (1905) — President  Roosevelt  appointed  the 
Panama  Canal  Commission,  which  commenced  the  con 
struction,  year  1905.  The  commission  included  Theodore 
P.  Shonts,  Chairman ;  Charles  E.  Magoon,  Governor  of 
the  Canal  Zone ;  John  F.  Wallace,  chief  engineer ;  M.  T. 
Endicott,  rear  admiral  of  U.  S.  N. ;  Peter  B,  Hains, 
brigadier  general,  U.  S.  A.,  retired:  Oswald  H.  Ernst,  col 
onel,  U.  S.  A.  engineers;  and  Benjamin  M.  Harrod.  The 
preliminary  work  was  begun  in  May,  the  following 
month. 

April  4  (1609) — Henry  Hudson,  an  English  naviga 
tor  in  the  service  of  the  Dutch,  sailed  from  Amsterdam, 
Holland,  in  the  little  ship  Half  Moon  (80  tons)  with  a 
crew  of  twenty  men,  seeking  a  water  passage  to  the 
"western  ocean"  (the  Pacific)  through  the  continent 
north  of  thw  English  colony  of  Virginia,  year  1609.  He 
entered  the  river  which  bears  his  name,  on  Sept.  12,  1609, 
and  sailed  up,  hoping  to  find  a  sea  at  its  source. 

April  5  (1768) — New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce 
established,  year  1768.  Charter  re-issued  by  the  legis 
lature  of  New  York  in  1783. 

April  6 — Confederate  Memorial  Day  in  Louisiana. 

April  6  (1789) — George  Washington  chosen  by  Con 
gress  (count  of  electoral  vote)  President  of  the  United 
States,  year  1789. 

April  6  (1789) — First  Congress  under  the  Constitu 
tion  met  at  New  York,  year  1789.  It  had  been  provided 
by  the  Constitutional  Convention  that  the  Congress 
should  assemble  on  "the  first  Wednesday  in  March,"  year 
1789.  But  the  newly  elected  members  of  the  Congress 
were  so  dilatory  in  beginning  their  duties  of  office  that  it 
was  not  until  a  month  later,  on  April  6,  that  a  quorum 

64 


APRIL 

had  arrived  at  New  York,  thus  making  it  possible  to 
count  the  electoral  votes  for  President  and  begin  the  or 
ganization  of  the  Government,  which  was  done  on  that 
day. 

April  6  (1862)— Battle  of  Shiloh,  Tenn.  (or  Pittsburg 
Landing),  year  1862.  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant  (45,000  Union 
men)  vs.  Gen.  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  (Confederate, 
40,000  men).  A  drawn  battle,  though  the  Confederates 
retired,  slowly,  without  pursuit.  The  battle  began  on 
Sunday,  April  6,  and  lasted  until  late  next  day.  The  Con 
federates  were  victorious  on  the  first  day.  In  the  night 
Union  reinforcements  under  Gen.  Lew  Wallace  arrived 
and  turned  the  tide  in  favor  of  Grant.  General  Johnston 
was  killed  in  the  first  day's  battle.  He  was  regarded  at 
that  time  as  the  ablest  commander  of  the  Confederacy ; 
on  his  death,  the  Confederate  command  devolved  upon 
Gen.  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard.  Shiloh  was  one  of  the  bloodiest 
battles  of  the  Civil  War.  The  Union  loss,  officially  re 
ported,  was  1,700  killed,  7,495  wounded,  and  3,022  cap 
tured — a  total  of  12,217.  The  Confederate  loss  was  1,728 
killed,  8,012  wounded,  and  959  missing— a  total  of  10,699. 

April  6  (1909) — North  Pole  was  discovered  and 
reached  by  Commander  Robert  E.  Peary,  U.  S.  N.,  year 
1909.  Commander  Peary  had  been  detailed  by  the  United 
States  Navy  Department  for  a  number  of  years  in  North 
Polar  exploration.  As  a  reward  for  his  discovery,  he 
was  promoted  to  be  a  rear  admiral  in  the  U.  S.  Navy. 

April  6  (1917) — Resolution  by  Congress  declaring 
war  against  Germany  was  signed  by  President  Wilson, 
wrho  also  issued  a  proclamation  of  war,  year  1917.  The 
day  was  Good  Friday.  The  text  of  the  Congress  resolu 
tion  was  as  follows : 

"Whereas,  The  Imperial  German  Government 
has  committed  repeated  acts  of  war  against  the 
Government  and  the  people  of  the  United  States 
of  America :  Therefore  be  it 

"Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Rep- 
65 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

resentatives  of  the  United  States  of  America  in 
Congress  assembled,  That  the  state  of  war  between 
the  United  States  and  the  Imperial  German  Gov 
ernment  which  has  thus  been  thrust  upon  the 
United  States  is  hereby  formally  declared;  and 
that  the  President  be,  and  he  is  hereby,  authorized 
and  directed  to  employ  the  entire  naval  and  mili 
tary  forces  of  the  United  States  and  the  resources 
of  the  Government  to  carry  on  war  against  the  Im 
perial  German  Government ;  and  to  bring  the  con 
flict  to  a  successful  termination  all  of  the  resources 
of  the  country  are  hereby  pledged  by  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States." 

The  Senate  passed  the  resolution  on  April  4  by  a  vote 
of  82  to  6.  The  names  of  the  six  senators  who  voted 
against  the  resolution  are :  Asle  J.  Gronna  of  North  Da 
kota,  Robert  M.  LaFollette  of  Wisconsin,  Harry  Lane  of 
Oregon,  George  W.  Norris  of  Nebraska,  William  J.  Stone 
of  Missouri,  and  James  K.  Vardaman  of  Mississippi. 

The  House  passed  the  resolution  on  April  6  by  a 
vote  of  373  to  50.  Among  those  who  voted  against  it 
was  Miss  Jeannette  Rankin  of  Montana,  then  the  first 
and  only  woman  representative  in  Congress. 

April  7  (1865) — Beginning  of  the  diplomatic  corre 
spondence  between  U.  S.  Minister  Charles  Francis 
Adams  at  London,  and  Lord  John  Russell,  the  Prime 
Minister  of  England,  regarding  what  is  known  as  the 
"Alabama  Claims"  (see  June  19  for  end  of  the  Alabama}. 
The  United  States  Government  claimed  that  Great 
Britain  should  pay  for  losses  inflicted  by  the  Alabama 
and  ten  other  Confederate  cruisers  on  United  States  com 
merce  during  the  Civil  War,  since  these  eleven  ships  were 
fitted  out  or  supplied  in  British  ports,  contrary  to  inter 
national  usages  governing  neutral  nations.  The  claims, 
as  finally  presented,  showed  that  these  eleven  war  vessels 
had  destroyed  a  total  of  169  merchant  ships  of  the  United 
States,  and  the  total  damages  was  $19,021,428.  The 

66 


APRIL 

Alabama  had  destroyed  fifty-eight  ships.  The  most  suc 
cessful  commerce  destroyers  among  the  others  were 
the  Shenandoah  (destroyed  forty  ships)  and  the  Florida 
(destroyed  thirty-eight  ships).  After  six  years  of  con 
troversy  over  these  claims,  a  Joint  High  Commission  of 
Arbitration  was  named  by  the  two  countries  in  1871. 
This  tribunal  met  at  Geneva,  Switzerland,  on  Dec.  15, 
1871,  and  continued  in  session  until  Sept.  14,  1872,  upon 
which  latter  date  it  awarded  the  sum  of  $15,500,000  in 
favor  of  the  United  States  as  full  payment  for  the  claims. 

April  8  (1826) — Duel  between  Henry  Clay  and  Sen 
ator  John  Randolph  of  Virginia  near  Georgetown,  Va., 
year  1826.  The  duelists  fired  two  shots  each.  Clay's 
first  bullet  passed  through  the  skirt  of  Randolph's  coat. 
Clay  missed  the  second  fire  and  Randolph  fired  his  second 
shot  straight  up  in  the  air.  The  quarrel  grew  out  of  a 
heated  debate  in  the  Senate  over  the  appointment  of  rep 
resentatives  to  a  congress  of  American  republics  at  Pan 
ama.  Randolph,  in  a  speech,  called  the  administration  of 
President  John  Quincy  Adams  a  ''puritanic-diplomatic- 
black-legged  administration."  Clay,  who  was  the  Secre 
tary  of  State,  regarded  Randolph's  epithetic  speech  as  a 
personal  insult  and  challenged  to  a  duel.  After  the  affair, 
the  men  became  cordial  friends.  This  was  the  most  fa 
mous  quarrel  arising  from  hot  language  used  in  a  debate 
in  Congress. 

April  9  (1682)— Robert,  Chevalier  de  la  Salle,  de 
scending  the  Mississippi,  at  its  mouth  took  possession  of 
the  country  which  he  named  Louisiana,  for  the  King  of 
France,  year  1682. 

SURRENDER  AT  APPOMATTOX 

April  9,  1865 

General  Grant,  with  an  army  of  90,000  active  fighting 
men,  late  in  March  1865,  was  preparing  for  the  great  final 
assault  upon  General  Lee's  Confederate  army  within  the 
intrenchments  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg.  He  ordered 

67 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

the  assault  to  begin  in  the  early  morning  of  April  3rd. 
But  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  of  April  2nd,  Lee,  with 
his  entire  army  of  about  40,000  men,  abandoned  the  Con 
federate  intrenchments  and  slipped  away  westward,  in 
tending  to  reach  Danville,  125  miles  to  the  southwest  and 
there  join  the  other  Confederate  army  under  Gen.  Joseph 
E.  Johnston,  or,  if  that  could  not  be,  then  to  try  and  reach 
the  mountains  100  miles  straight  westward,  beyond 
Lynchburg  in  Virginia,  where  he  could  turn  at  bay  and 
prolong  the  war. 

In  the  morning  the  Union  army  started  in  pursuit. 
Day  and  night  the  plunging,  struggling  race  between  the 
two  armies  went  on,  across  eighty  miles  of  Virginia  fields, 
woodlands,  rivers  and  swamps,  and,  on  April  8,  Lee  ar 
rived  at  the  village  of  Appomattox,  and  it  seemed  human 
endurance  could  carry  no  farther.  General  Sheridan  with 
the  Union  cavalry  had  swept  around  his  left  flank,  cutting 
off  the  retreat  southward.  Nevertheless,  Lee  took  a 
strong  position  and  began  to  intrench  his  brigades.  But 
Lee's  chief  officers  saw  the  struggle  was  hopeless,  and 
advised  him  to  meet  General  Grant,  who  had  written  on 
April  7th  calling  on  him  to  surrender.  On  the  morning 
of  April  9th,  Grant  was  prepared  to  assault  the  devoted 
Confederates.  The  last  battle  had  already  commenced, 
when  General  Lee  sent  a  messenger  with  a  white  flag. 
The  struggle  ceased. 

At  half  past  one  o'clock  on  Sunday  afternoon,  April 
9th,  General  Grant  and  General  Lee  met  in  the  house  of 
Wilmer  McLean  in  the  village  of  Appomattox,  and  the 
articles  of  surrender  were  drawn  and  signed.  The  con 
queror  was  magnanimous.  The  Confederate  private  sol 
diers  were  allowed  to  go  free  to  their  homes,  giving  only 
their  word  that  they  would  not  again  take  up  arms 
against  the  United  States.  The  Confederate  officers  re 
tained  their  swords  and  horses,  and  were  allowed  to  go 
free  to  their  homes.  Next  day,  Lee's  army,  which  had 
dwindled  to  25,494  men  and  2,862  officers,  laid  down  their 
muskets,  and  turned  over  their  artillery,  and  went  away 

68 


APRIL 

by  groups  and  singly,  to  their  homes  in  the  South.  This 
ended  the  Civil  War,  except  for  some  desultory  fighting 
in  other  parts  of  the  South  during  the  month  of  April. 

April  10  (1606) — King  James  I.  of  England  granted 
charters  to  the  London  Company  territory  in  America 
(between  34°  and  38°  north  latitude)  and  to  the  Plymouth 
Company  territory  between  41°  and  45°  north  latitude,  in 
cluding  all  the  country  from  New  York  to  Halifax  inclu 
sive,  year  1606.  (See  Forefathers'  Day,  Dec.  22,  1620.) 

April  10  (1866) — The  American  Society  for  the  Pre 
vention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  legally  organized,  year 
1866.  Henry  Bergh  of  New  York,  founder  of  the  Society, 
was  its  first  president. 

April  11  (1713) — Treaty  of  Utrecht,  Holland,  ending 
Queen  Anne's  War  (AVar  of  the  Spanish  Succession), 
year  1713.  By  this  treaty  the  French  ceded  to  England 
"all  of  Nova  Scotia  formerly  called  Acadia"  and  all  claims 
to  Hudson  Bay  and  Newfoundland. 

April  12  (1777) — Henry  Clay,  statesman,  born  in 
Hanover  County,  Va.,  year  1777;  died  at  Ashland,  Ky., 
June  29,  1852.  He  was  nominated  for  President  by  the 
National  Republican  party  in  1832,  and  was  defeated  by 
Andrew  Jackson.  Was  nominated  for  President  by  the 
Whig  party  in  1844  and  was  defeated  by  James  K.  Polk. 
His  constructive  influence  on  the  political  life  of  the 
nation  during  forty  years,  from  1811  to  1851,  was  greater 
than  that  of  any  other  statesman  of  that  period.  He  was 
given  the  soubriquets  "The  Great  Pacifier"  and  "The 
Great  Compromiser."  He  was  one  of  America's  great 
orators. 

BOMBARDMENT  OF  FORT  SUMTER 
April  12,  1861 

In  the  month  of  January,  1861,  the  states  of  Missis 
sippi,  Florida,  Alabama,  Georgia,  Louisiana  and  Texas,  in 
the  order  named,  had  seceded  from  the  Union.  South 

69 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Carolina  had  sece.ded  in  December  1860.  These  seven 
states,  early  in  February,  1861,  formed  "The  Confederate 
States  of  America,"  yet  war  did  not  begin  immediately. 
In  December,  1861,  South  Carolina,  acting  as  an  indepen 
dent  republic,  demanded  that  the  United  States  give  up 
all  forts,  arsenals,  lighthouses  and  other  governmental 
properties  within  the  boundaries  of  South  Carolina- 
meaning,  in  fact,  the  military  works  in  the  harbor  of 
Charleston.  Of  these,  Fort  Sumter  was  the  most  im 
portant,  but  was  practically  ungarrisoned.  President 
Buchanan,  a  Southern  sympathizer,  was  inclined  to  grant 
the  demand,  but  feared  Northern  public  opinion.  While 
he  vacillated,  Major  Robert  Anderson,  commanding  the 
U.  S.  garrison  of  Fort  Moultrie,  in  Charleston  harbor,  sur 
prised  the  whole  country  on  Dec.  26,  1860,  when  he 
quietly  moved  his  entire  force  of  78  men  and  officers 
across  the  harbor  and  took  possession  of  Fort  Sumter 
where  he  was  in  position  to  destroy  Charleston.  He  acted 
without  any  orders  from  his  superiors.  Indeed,  he  knew 
that  those  superiors  contemplated  giving  up  the  fort. 
But  he  also  knew  that  public  opinion  of  the  North  would 
support  him.  "  He  was  right.  The  whole  country  flamed. 
When  the  six  other  Southern  States  joined  South  Caro 
lina,  the  Confederacy  made  the  demand  for  the  surrender 
of  Fort  Sumter  imperative,  and  actually  besieged  the 
fort,  and  assembled  an  army  at  Charleston.  Bloodless 
war  was  thus  carried  on  for  three  months,  while  poli 
ticians  on  each  side  strove  for  advantage,  and  Buchanan 
swayed  indecisively,  until  the  end  of  his  term,  on  March 
4,  1861.  President  Lincoln,  immediately  on  taking  office, 
planned  to  reinforce  Fort  Sumter  and  hold  it.  On 
April  9,  the  transport  Baltic  with  provisions  and  rein 
forcements,  convoyed  by  three  war  steamers  and  three 
tugs,  left  New  York  for  Charleston.  News  of  the  sailing 
was  telegraphed  to  Montgomery,  the  capital  of  the  Con 
federacy.  After  a  conference  with  his  Cabinet,  President 
Jefferson  Davis  ordered  General  Beauregard,  command- 

70 


APRIL 

ing  the  Confederate  forces  at  Charleston,  to  demand  the 
surrender  of  the  fort  before  the  relieving  expedition  ar 
rived.  The  demand  was  made  on  April  llth.  Major 
Anderson,  who  was  in  sore  straits  after  three  months' 
siege,  replied  that  they  would  evacuate  the  fort  at  noon 
on  April  15th,  if  he  was  not  attacked  in  the  meantime, 
and  also  if  he  received  no  further  supplies  nor  instruc 
tions  from  his  government.  The  answer  was  unsatisfac 
tory  to  the  Confederates,  for  the  relieving  expedition 
would  probably  arrive  before  April  15.  General  Beau- 
regard  was  ordered  to  "reduce  the  fort  as  your  judgment 
decides  to  be  most  practicable." 

At  4:30  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  April  12,  the 
Confederates  fired  the  first  gun — a  12-inch  mortar, 
against  the  fort,  and  from  that  moment  the  Civil  War 
waged  throughout  four  years. 

The  Confederate  batteries  were  planted  on  the  main 
land,  and  on  several  islands.  They  numbered  47  guns. 
In  fifteen  minutes  after  the  first  shot,  they  were  all  firing. 
The  first  shot  fired  by  Major  Anderson's  little  garrison 
in  reply  was  at  7  :30  a.  m. 

The  bombardment  was  continued  incessantly,  though 
slowly,  for  40  hours,  when  the  fort  was  so  battered  and 
so  endangered  by  flames  within,  that  Anderson  sur 
rendered.  Outside  the  harbor,  yet  unable  to  enter,  was 
the  relieving  expedition. 

To  the  astonishment  of  all  the  combatants  and  the 
entire  country,  it  was  found  that  not  one  person  had  been 
killed  or  wounded  on  either  side  during  the  bombard 
ment ! 

April  12  (1860) — First  "pony  express"  reached  Car-~ 
son  Valley   (Nevada)   from  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  year  1860.  ^ 
Time  of  trip,  eight  and  one  half  days. 

BIRTHDAY  OF  THOMAS  JEFFERSON 
April  13,  1743 

Thomas  Jefferson  was  born  at  Shadwell,  Albemarle 
County,  Va.,  in  his  father's  plain  farmhouse,  on  April  13, 

71 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

1743;  he  died  in  his  home  called  "Monticello"  which  he 
had  built  on  the  farm,  or  estate,  where  he  was  born,  on 
July  4,  1826.  History  has  noted  as  a  striking  fact  that 
John  Adams,  the  statesman  contemporary  of  Jefferson 
during  forty  years  of  active  public  life,  died  also  on  this 
July  4,  1826.  (See  Oct.  30,  1735,  Birthday  of  John 
Adams.) 

Jefferson's  ancestors  were  of  the  same  class  as  Wash 
ington's  forefathers.  It  is  remarkable  that  Washington's 
father  and  Jefferson's  father  were  descended  from  the 
English  class  of  small  landowners,  and  neither  boasted 
of  any  relationship  to  the  titled  aristocracy  of  England. 
It  is  also  remarkable  that  Washington's  mother  and  Jef 
ferson's  mother  were  both  "high  born" — of  the  English 
aristocracy.  Peter  Jefferson,  the  father,  married  Jane 
Randolph,  the  daughter  of  the  rich  and  highborn  tobacco 
lord,  Isham  Randolph. 

Thomas  Jefferson's  father  left  an  estate  of  1,900 
acres  and  thirty  slaves  which  produced  an  annual  income 
of  $2,000 — a  very  large  sum  at  that  time.  Thomas  was 
the  eldest  son  and  heir.  He  had  six  sisters  and  one 
younger  brother. 

He  graduated  from  William  and  Mary  College  at 
Williamsburg,  Va.,  in  1762.  At  that  time  he  was  de 
scribed  as  a  tall,  raw-boned  lad  of  nineteen,  with  freckled 
face,  sandy  hair,  bright  hazel  eyes,  prominent  chin  and 
cheek  bones,  big  hands  and  feet,  and  strikingly  perfect 
teeth.  He  stood  up  straight  as  an  arrow,  and  was  a  giant 
in  physical  strength.  This  description  fitted  him  all 
through  his  life  until  near  the  end. 

In  1772  he  married  Martha  Skelton,  a  wealthy 
widow.  Six  children  were  born  to  them.  Four  of  these 
died  while  babies ;  Mary  lived  to  the  age  of  twenty-six ; 
Martha,  the  oldest,  lived  to  become  her  father's  dearest 
companion  and  head  of  his  household  after  the  death  of 
his  wife  in  1804. 

Jefferson  began  the  practice  of  law  shortly  after  leav 
ing  college.  He  entered  public  life  as  a  member  of  the 

72 


APRIL 

Virginia  House  of  Burgesses  in  1768,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five.  Thereafter  for  forty-one  years  constantly 
he  served  in  public  office  or  public  leadership  out  of 
office. 

He  was  not  an  orator,  but  early  in  life  was  recog 
nized  as  one  of  the  ablest  publicists  in  America.  So  he 
was  selected  to  make  the  first  draft  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  (See  July  4.) 

He  was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia  in  1779.  He 
succeeded  Dr.  Franklin  as  Minister  to  France  in  1785. 
He  was  in  Paris  at  the  outbreak  of  the  French  Revolution 
and  sympathized  heart  and  soul  with  the  revolutionists. 
It  was  there  that  he  adopted  the  radical  republican  prin 
ciples  which,  later,  he  impressed  in  large  degree  perma 
nently  upon  the  United  States.  He  was  recalled  from 
France  to  become  the  first  Secretary  of  State.  Alexander 
Hamilton  was  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  These  two 
men  represented  widely  opposing  principles  and  policies. 
The  contest  between  them  in  the  early  years  of  the 
nation,  is  one  of  the  tremendous  things  of  American  his 
tory.  Jefferson  won  the  contest — or  rather  the  decision 
of  that  time,  for  the  Hamiltonian  principles  continued  to 
vitally  influence  the  American  people.  In  1796  he  was 
the  "Republican"  candidate  for  president  and  received  68 
electoral  votes.  John  Adams,  the  Federalist,  received 
71  votes  and  was  elected. 

In  1800  the  Republicans  had  gained  the  ascendancy. 
In  the  presidential  election  that  year  sixteen  States  par 
ticipated,  with  a  total  of  138  electoral  votes.  Jefferson 
received  73  votes  and  Aaron  Burr,  also  a  Republican,  re 
ceived  73.  John  Adams  got  65.  Thomas  Pinckney  (Fed 
eralist),  64,  and  John  Jay  (Federalist),  1.  The  tie  be 
tween  Jefferson  and  Burr  was  decided  by  the  House  of 
Representatives  in  favor  of  Jefferson,  Burr  becoming 
vice-president. 

The  chief  events  of  his  first  administration  were  the 
war  with  Tripoli  (1801-1804),  and  the  purchase  of 
Louisiana  (1803). 

73 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

In  1804  he  was  overwhelmingly  reelected  President; 
there  were  then  seventeen  States  with  a  total  of  176  elec 
toral  votes.  Jefferson  received  162  electoral  votes  and 
Charles  C.  Pinckney  (Federalist)  14  votes. 

The  chief  events  of  his  second  administration  were 
the  Lewis  and  Clark  expedition  (1804-1806),  the  capture 
of  the  U.  S.  S.  Chesapeake  by  the  British  ship  Leopard 
(1807),  the  sailing  of  Robert  Fulton's  steamboat,  the 
Clermont  (1807),  and  the  trial  of  Aaron  Burr  for  alleged 
treason  (1807). 

April  13  (1795) — James  Harper,  founder  and  senior 
of  the  publishing  house  of  Harper  &  Brothers  (New 
York),  born  at  Newtown,  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  year  1795; 
died  at  New  York,  March  25,  1869.  He  and  his  brother 
John  started  a  small  printing  office  in  Dover  Street,  New 
York,  where  they  at  first  printed  books  to  order.  The 
first  work  was  an  edition  of  2,000  copies  of  Seneca's 
"Morals,"  delivered  to  order  in  August,  1817.  The  im 
print  "J.  &  J.  Harper,  Publishers"  first  appeared  in  April, 
1818,  in  an  edkion  of  500  copies  of  Locke's  "Essay  Upon 
the  Human  Understanding."  Two  younger  brothers, 
Joseph  Wesley,  and  Fletcher,  were  later  admitted  to 
partnership  and  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Harper  & 
Brothers.  It  is  the  oldest  of  the  book  publishing  houses 
that  have,  by  process  of  constant  existence  and  wide  in 
fluence,  become  national  institutions. 

April  13  (1818)— United  States  Flag,  as  finally 
adopted  by  Congress,  raised  over  the  House  of  Represen 
tatives  at  Washington,  year  1818.  (See  June  14.) 

April  13  (1846) — Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company 
organized,  year  1846. 

April  13  (1869) — First  patent  for  air  brake  issued  to 
George  Westinghouse,  year  1869. 

74 


APRIL 

ASSASSINATION   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN 

April  14,  1865 

On  the  night  of  April  14,  1865,  which  was  Good 
Friday,  President  Lincoln  with  his  wife  and  two  friends 
occupied  the  "President's  Box"  at  Ford's  Theatre,  in 
Washington,  by  special  invitation.  The  play  was  "Our 
American  Cousin,"  a  benefit  performance  for  Miss  Laura 
Keene  who  was  then  the  leading  actress  of  the  American 
stage.  For  two  hours  they  watched  the  play.  During 
the  third  act,  a  well-known  actor  named  John  Wilkes 
Booth,  son  of  Junius  Brutus  Booth  and  brother  of  Edwin 
Booth,  quietly  opened  the  door  of  the  box,  came  behind 
the  President  who  was  absorbed  in  the  play,  placed  the 
muzzle  of  a  pistol  close  to  the  back  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  head 
and  fired,  at  the  same  time  shouting  "Sic  Semper  Tyran- 
nis."  The  head  of  the  President  fell  forward  on  his 
breast  and  rested ;  his  body  remained  upright,  motionless 
in  the  chair.  The  shot  did  not  kill  him  instantly.  He 
died  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  next  day,  but  he 
never  regained  consciousness.  Major  Rathbone,  the 
guest  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  grappled  with  the  assassin.  Booth, 
who  was  an  athlete,  threw  him  off  and  leaped  from  the 
box  to  the  stage,  fourteen  feet  below.  He  rushed  through 
the  actors  brandishing  a  knife,  went  out  into  the  alley  at 
the  rear  of  the  theatre  where  he  had  a  horse  saddled  and 
waiting,  jumped  upon  the  horse  and  escaped.  Twelve 
days  later  he  was  discovered  in  a  tobacco  warehouse 
sixty  miles  south  of  Washington,  by  a  detachment  of 
cavalry  that  was  hunting  him.  He,  with  one  of  his  band, 
defied  the  soldiers,  and  for  a  time  held  them  off.  Their 
commander,  Col.  E.  J.  Conger,  ordered  that  no  shot  be 
fired  but  that  Booth  must  be  taken  alive.  One  of  the  sol 
diers  named  Boston  Corbett  disobeyed  this  order  and 
fired  through  a  crack  in  the  warehouse,  fatally  wounding 
Booth ;  he  died  two  hours  later.  His  last  words  were, 
"Tell  my  mother  I  die  for  my  country.  I  did  what  I 
thought  was  best." 

75 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Seven  men  and  one  woman  were  arrested,  charged 
with  conspiring  with  Booth  to  kill  Lincoln,  Andrew 
Johnson  the  Vice-President,  General  Grant,  Secretary  of 
State  Seward,  and  Secretary  of  War  Stanton.  The 
woman  was  Mary  E.  Surratt,  a  widow,  aged  forty-five 
years ;  her  house  was  headquarters  for  the  conspirators. 
The  trial  lasted  a  month.  Mrs.  Surratt  and  three  of  the 
men  were  hanged  on  July  7,  1865.  The  other  four  were 
condemned  to  prison  for  life  and  sent  to  the  military 
prison  at  Dry  Tortugas,  Florida. 

Peeling  in  the  North  was  intensely  directed  against 
President  Jefferson  Davis  and  other  Confederate  officials 
who  were  suspected  of  having  knowledge  of  the  con 
spiracy.  Nothing  was  proved  against  them.  It  is  the 
universal  opinion  now  that  the  Confederate  government 
officials  were  in  no  way  responsible  for  Booth,  nor  would 
they  countenance  in  any  way  his  plan  of  assassination. 
It  is  the  judgment  of  history  that  Booth  was  a  half-mad 
egotist,  seeking  to  win  a  name  as  a  world  hero. 

April  14  (1775) — First  society  for  the  abolition  of 
slavery  organized,  at  Philadelphia,  year  1775.  Benjamin 
Franklin  was  elected  president  and  Benjamin  Rush  secre 
tary.  The  movement  was  begun  by  Quakers. 

April  14  (1917) — House  of  Representatives  voted  a 
war  credit  of  $7,000,000,000  for  the  war  against  Germany. 
Of  this  amount,  $3,000,000,000  was  to  be  loaned  to  the 
allies  of  the  United  States.  On  April  17th,  three  days 
later,  the  Senate  voted  the  same  amount  and  the  Presi 
dent  signed  the  act. 

April  15  (1861) — President  Lincoln  issued  first  call 
for  75,000  volunteers  to  put  down  the  "rebellion"  of  the 
Southern  States,  year  1861. 

April  15  (1912) — Steamship  Titanic,  bound  from 
Liverpool  to  New  York  on  her  maiden  voyage,  several 
hundred  miles  east  of  Newfoundland,  at  2 :30  a.  m. 
struck  an  iceberg  and  sank,  year  1912.  There  were  lost 
1,595  lives.  Those  saved  numbered  745. 

76 


APRIL 

April  16  (1862) — Slavery  was  abolished  in  the  Dis 
trict  of  Columbia,  by  Act  of  Congress,  year  1862. 

April  17  (1861) — State  Convention,  composed  of  the 
members  of  the  legislature  of  Virginia,  passed  the  "Or 
dinance  of  Secession"  by  a  vote  of  88  to  55,  year  1861. 
Eleven  days  prior  to  this,  the  convention  had  refused,  by 
a  vote  of  89  to  45,  to  join  the  seven  States  which  had  al 
ready  organized  the  Confederate  States  of  America.  The 
majority  of  the  people  of  Virginia  were  far  less  desirous 
of  war  than  the  people  of  the  seven  cotton  States.  The 
leaders  of  the  cotton  States  knew  their  cause  was  weak, 
in  a  military  sense,  without  the  aid  of  Virginia.  It  is 
believed  by  competent  historians,  in  North  and  South, 
that  the  decision  of  the  Confederate  leaders  to  fire  on 
Eort  Sumter  on  April  12,  1861,  was  made  primarily  to 
influence  the  Virginians  who  wrere  then  in  convention  and 
undecided.  On  April  15,  President  Lincoln  called  for 
75,000  volunteers  to  put  down  "rebellion."  This  was  the 
act  which  turned  Virginia  to  the  Confederacy. 

April  18  (1898)— U.  S.  Senate  and  House  of  Repre 
sentatives  jointly  declared  "That  the  people  of  Cuba  are 
and  of  right  ought  to  be  free  and  independent,"  and  fur 
ther  empowered  the  President  to  use  the  "entire  land  and 
naval  forces  of  the  United  States"  to  "carry  these  resolu 
tions  into  effect."  This  constituted  the  declaration  of 
War  against  Spain,  year  1898. 

April  18  (1906) — Earthquake  in  California  destroyed 
the  business  section  of  San  Francisco,  year  1906.  The 
first  quake  was  recorded  at  5  :13  a.  m.  Fire  broke  out  im 
mediately  in  the  ruins.  The  total  loss  of  life  was  esti 
mated  at  4,000.  The  exact  number  was  never  known. 
The  total  property  loss  was  about  $300,000,000  of  which 
$175,000,000  was  covered  by  insurance.  The  buildings  on 
an  area  of  10,000  acres  wrere  almost  entirely  destroyed. 
Measured  by  loss  of  lives  and  property,  this  was,  up  to 
that  time,  the  greatest  disaster  caused  by  nature  elements 
in  the  history  of  the  United  States. 

77 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

April  18  (1847)— Battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  Mexico,  year 
1847.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  (American,  12,000  men)  vs. 
Gen.  Santa  Anna  (Mexican,  10,000  men).  American  vic 
tory.  Three  thousand  Mexicans  surrendered. 

BATTLE  OF  LEXINGTON 
April  19,  1775 

When  the  news  of  the  Boston  "Tea  Party"  reached 
England,  in  January,  1775,  King  George  III.  and  his  min 
isters  resolved  to  chastise  the  "rebels"  of  Boston.  New 
laws  were  enacted  by  Parliament,  designed  to  punish  the 
Colonists  of  Massachusetts.  General  Gage  was  appointed 
military  governor  of  the  province,  and  in  April,  1774, 
sailed  to  Boston  with  four  regiments.  Then  began  the 
last  great  diplomatic  struggle  between  the  British  min 
isters  and  the  American  Colonists.  In  this  struggle,  with 
in  the  law,  the  American  leaders  were  Samuel  Adams, 
John  Hancock  and  Dr.  Joseph  Warren.  They  organized 
a  provisional  government  for  Massachusetts  in  defiance 
of  General  Gage.  Day  by  day  the  crisis  steadily  ap 
proached.  Aftep  nearly  a  year  of  this  legal  struggle,  the 
British  Ministry  ordered  General  Gage  to  arrest  Adams 
and  Hancock  and  send  them  to  England  to  be  tried  for 
treason.  When  Gage  received  this  order,  in  March,  1775, 
the  two  American  leaders  were  at  Concord,  eighteen  miles 
northwest  of  Boston,  attending  the  sessions  of  the  pro 
vincial  congress  which  they  had  organized.  On  April 
15th,  they  went  to  Lexington,  twelve  miles  from  Boston, 
to  the  house  of  their  friend  Rev.  Jonas  Clarke.  The  spies 
of  General  Gage  reported  to  him  and  he  instantly  planned 
to  seize  Adams  and  Hancock  while  they  lay  at  the  Clarke 
house. 

On  the  night  of  April  18th,  a  detachment  of  British 
troops,  numbering  about  500,  silently  left  Boston  and 
marched  to  Lexington.  But  Paul  Revere,  the  trusted 
aide  of  Dr.  Warren,  had  watched  on  the  shore  opposite 
Boston  and  when  he  knew  the  British  had  started  on  a 
certain  route,  he  rode  through  the  moonlit  night  to  Lex- 

78 


APRIL 

ington,  rousing  the  Minute  Men  in  every  village  and  ham 
let  and  farm  house. 

"It  was  one,  by  the  village  clock 
When  he  galloped  into  Lexington" 

so  the  poet  Longfellow  wrote  in  his  immortal  tale  of  Paul 
Revere's  ride.  He  warned  Adams  and  Hancock  and  they 
escaped  easily  before  the  British  arrived. 

The  advance  of  the  British  force  reached  Lexington 
about  sunrise.  On  the  park  or  "green"  in  the  center  of 
the  village  was  a  body  of  fifty  American  Minute  Men 
under  Captain  John  Parker.  They  stood,  with  loaded 
muskets  in  hand,  but  Captain  Parker  had  ordered  them 
to  refrain  from  firing  until  the  British  had  first  fired 
upon  them. 

On  came  the  British,  led  by  Major  Pitcairn.  He 
shouted,  "Disperse,  ye  villains!"  But  the  Minute  Men 
stood  motionless  and  silent.  Again  Pitcairn  cried — "Why 
don't  you  disperse?"  They  remained  unmoved.  Then 
Pitcairn  gave  the  command  to  his  men — "Fire !"  His  men 
hesitated,  fearing  the  terrible  consequences.  He  fired  his 
own  pistol  at  the  Americans — the  first  shot  of  the  war, 
and  then  his  men  fired  a  volley,  killing  eight  Americans 
and  wounding  ten.  The  American  line  was  broken.  Par 
ker  ordered  them  to  retire.  A  few  fired  back  at  the 
British.  The  main  British  force  now  appeared. 

But  the  expedition  had  failed  in  its  chief  purpose — 
to  capture  Adams  and  Hancock.  The  minor  purpose,  to 
capture  military  stores  which  the  Americans  had  assem 
bled  at  Concord,  six  miles  beyond  Lexington,  might  still 
be  accomplished.  So  Colonel  Smith,  the  British  com 
mander,  pushed  on  to  Concord  and  arrived  there  at  seven 
o'clock  in  the  morning. 

And  now  the  country  was  ablaze.  Four  hundred 
Minute  Men  had  assembled  at  Concord.  The  British 
overran  the  town,  but  in  the  midst  of  this  operation  the 
Minute  Men  dashed  down  and  across  the  little  bridge 
over  Concord  river  and  put  to  flight  200  British  regulars 

79 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

who  guarded  the  bridge.  This  was  the  first  offensive  of 
the  Americans  in  the  wrar. 

The  British  force  began  a  retreat  over  the  same  road 
they  had  come  in  the  advance.  Back  to  Lexington  they 
went  and  there,  fortunately  for  them,  they  met  1,200 
British  regulars  under  Lord  Percy  who  had  come  to  re 
inforce  them.  The  combined  British  force  of  1,700  men, 
after  a  short  rest,  turned  back  toward  Boston,  for  now 
thousands  of  Minute  Men  were  on  their  flanks.  All  the 
way,  along  the  twelve  miles,  throughout  all  the  afternoon, 
the  blood  of  their  dead  and  wounded  stained  the  road.  At 
sunset  they  reached  Charlestown,  beaten,  broken  and 
panic  stricken,  but  saved  by  the  warships  that  lay  in  the 
river  at  Charlestown. 

The  British  loss  on  this  day  was  273  killed  and 
wounded.  The  Americans  lost  93  men.  The  War  of  the 
Revolution  had  begun  with  an  astonishing  victory  for  the 
Americans. 

April  19  (1850)— Signing  of  the  Clayton-Bulwer 
treaty  with  Great  Britain  providing  a  joint  occupancy  of 
the  proposed  ship  canal  through  Central  America  from 
Atlantic  to  Pacific  oceans,  the  so-called  Nicaragua  Canal, 
year  1850.  The  treaty  was  negotiated  and  signed  by 
John  M.  Clayton,  the  Secretary  of  State  in  President 
Taylor's  cabinet,  and  Sir  Henry  Lytton  Bulwer  (brother 
of  Bulwer  the  novelist),  the  British  Minister  to  the 
United  States.  This  treaty  was  annulled  and  superseded 
by  the  Hay-Pauncefote  treaty  of  1902.  (See  Dec.  16, 
1901.) 

April  19  (1861) — Federal  troops  of  the  Sixth  Massa 
chusetts  Regiment  called  by  President  Lincoln  to  as 
semble  at  Washington  for  defense  against  the  Confed 
eracy,  were  attacked  in  the  streets  of  Baltimore  by  a 
street  crowd  and  several  soldiers  were  wounded,  year 
1861.  This  was  the  first  bloodshed  of  the  Civil  War. 

April  19  (.1917) — First  gun  fired  by  Americans 
against  Germans  in  the  German  war ;  the  shot  was  fired 

80 


APRIL 

by  the  naval  gun  crew  of  the  merchant  steamship  Mon 
golia  of  the  Atlantic  Transport  Line  at  a  German  sub 
marine  near  the  coast  of  Ireland.  The  steamship  was 
bound  from  New  York  to  England.  The  submarine  dis 
appeared  after  the  shot,  whether  or  not  destroyed  is  not 
known. 

April  19  (1918)— Battle  of  Seicheprey,  France,  the 
first  important  engagement  between  Americans  and  Ger 
mans  in  the  Great  War.  A  body  of  3,000  Germans 
assaulted  the  American  trenches  in  front  of  the  village 
of  Seicheprey  in  French-Lorraine.  The  Germans  claimed 
victory,  asserting  that  they  captured  183  Americans, 
though  they  retired,  after  twenty-four  hours  fighting. 
Unofficially,  the  Americans  claimed  they  inflicted  heavy 
loss  on  the  Germans,  saying  that  the  bodies  of  300  Ger 
mans  were  found  lying  on  the  ground  in  "No  Man's 
Land." 

April  20  (1676)— "Bacon's  Rebellion"  began,  year 
1676.  Nathaniel  Bacon  was  a  young  planter  of  Virginia, 
admired  and  trusted  by  the  people.  The  people  asked  of 
the  aristocratic  Governor  Berkeley  to  have  Bacon  lead 
them  in  defense  of  their  homes  against  Indians  who  were 
murdering  the  colonists.  Berkeley  refused,  calling  the 
request  a  "presumption"  of  the  "common  people."  The 
volunteers  set  out  under  Bacon  in  defiance  of  the  gov 
ernor,  and  he  immediately  proclaimed  Bacon  a  traitor. 
Bacon  fell  ill  of  fever  and  died.  This  was  the  first  mili 
tant  opposition  to  the  English  monarch's  authority  in 
America. 

April  20  (1837) — Legislature  of  Massachusetts 
created  a  State  Board  of  Education.  Horace  Mann  was 
the  originator  of  the  bill.  He  retired  from  political  life 
and  law  practice  and,  on  June  29,  1837,  was  elected  secre 
tary  of  the  new  Board  at  a  salary  of  $1,000  a  year.  For 
twelve  years  thereafter  he  devoted  himself  exclusively  to 
education,  becoming  the  foremost  man  of  the  nation  in 
this  field.  (See  May  4.) 

81 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

April  21  (1836)—  Battle  of  San  Jacinto,  Texas.  Gen. 
Sam  Houston  (Texan,  800  men)  vs.  Gen.  Santa  Anna 
(Mexican,  1,600  men),  year  1836.  A  complete  Texan  vic 
tory,  achieving  the  independence  of  Texas.  Gen.  Santa 
Anna  and  730  of  his  men  were  captured  ;  630  were  killed 
and  208  wounded.  The  Texan  loss  was  two  killed  and 
twenty-three  wrounded.  The  battle  lasted  but  twenty 
minutes. 

April  22  (1889)  —  Indian  Territory  —  its  central  sec 
tion  —  was  thrown  open  to  settlers,  making  the  new  Ter 
ritory  of  Oklahoma.  Many  thousands  of  pioneers 
awaited  the  signal,  and  when  the  bugles  sounded,  they 
rushed  across  the  boundary  line  and  occupied  the  new 
public  lands  in  a  single 


April  22  (1898)  —  Spanish  ship  Buena  Ventura,  a  mer 
chantman,  captured  by  the  U.  S.  S.  Nashville,  year  1898. 
The  first  shot  of  the  Spanish  War  was  fired  in  this  action. 

April  22  (1914)  —  Capture  of  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico,  by 
a  U.  S.  naval  force  under  command  of  Rear  Admiral 
Frank  M.  Fletcher,  year  1914.  The  movement  was  di 
rected  against  dictator  President  Huerta  of  Mexico  and 
was  not  formally  an  act  of  war  against  Mexico.  Vera 
Cruz  was  held  by  Americans  until  Dec.  1,  1914. 

April  23  (1635)—  Public  Latin  School  of  Boston 
founded,  year  1635.  The  oldest  existing  school  in  the 
United  States. 

April  23  (1791)  —  James  Buchanan,  fifteenth  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  born  at  Stony  Batter,  Pa.,  year 
1791  ;  died  at  Wheatland,  Pa.,  June  1,  1868,  aged  77  years. 
He  never  married.  In  1856  he  was  nominated  for 
President  by  the  Democratic  party  and  elected.  Electoral 
votes  (31  States)  :  Buchanan,  174;  John  C.  Fremont  (Re 
publican),  114;  Millard  Fillmore  (American  Party  or 
"Knownothing"),  8.  Inaugurated  March  4,  1857.  The 
chief  events  of  his  administration  were  the  Lecompton 

82 


APRIL 

Constitution  (for  Kansas)  controversy  (1857-1858),  John 
Brown's  raid  at  Harper's  Ferry  (1859),  Star  of  the  West 
steamship  fired  upon  (1861),  organization  of  the  Con 
federate  States  of  America  at  Montgomery,  Ala  (Feb.  4, 
1861).  His  administration  is  generally  regarded  as 
lenient  toward  the  activities  of  Southern  leaders  who 
planned  the  secession  of  the  South. 

April  23  (1813) — Stephen  Arnold  Douglas,  states 
man,  born  at  Brandon,  Vt,  year  1813;  died  at  Chicago, 
111.,  June  3,  1861.  Became  the  leader  of  the  Democratic 
Party  in  the  North  in  the  years  immediately  prior  to  the 
Civil  War.  Was  U.  S.  Senator  from  Illinois  from  1847 
until  his  death.  In  1858,  when  a  candidate  for  reelection 
as  senator,  he  engaged  in  a  series  of  debates  with  Abra 
ham  Lincoln  on  the  question  of  slavery.  These  debates 
absorbingly  interested  the  whole  country,  and  remain  in 
literature  as  the  most  profound  and  moving  exposition  of 
the  subject  in  the  world's  history. 

April  23  (1838) — Steamship  Great  Western  first  ar 
rived  at  New  York  from  Bristol,  England,  and  steamship 
Sirius  first  arrived  at  New  York  from  London,  year  1838. 
These  were  the  two  first  regular  Atlantic  Ocean  liners. 
The  Great  Western  made  the  passage  in  fifteen  days  and 
the  Sirius  in  seventeen  days. 

April  24  (1704) — First  issue  of  the  Boston  News 
Letter,  the  first  permanent  newspaper  in  America,  year 
1704.  John  Campbell,  postmaster  of  Boston  and  news 
vendor,  was  the  founder.  It  was  a  weekly.  It  lived 
seventy-two  years. 

April  25  (1846) — First  engagement  of  the  Mexican 
War,  at  La  Rosia,  Mexico,  year  1846.  A  Mexican  vic 
tory.  Captain  Seth  B.  Thornton  and  fifty  American  cav 
alrymen  were  taken  prisoners  by  the  Mexican  force. 

April  25  (1917) — First  war  loan  made  to  an  ally  of 
83 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

the  United  States— $200,000,000  to  Great  Britain,  year 
1917. 

April  26 — Confederate  Memorial  Day  in  Alabama, 
Georgia,  Florida  and  Mississippi.  The  day  was  estab 
lished  by  Mary  Ann  Williams,  a  patriotic  philanthropist 
of  Columbus,  Ga.r  who,  in  a  letter  printed  in  the  Colum 
bus  Times  on  March  12,  1866,  called  upon  her  fellow- 
citizens  to  observe  the  following  April  26  as  a  date 
"to  wreathe  the  graves  of  our  martyred  dead  with  flowers." 
(See  Memorial  Day,  May  30.) 

April  26  (1865) — Last  great  Confederate  army,  under 
Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  surrendered  to  Gen.  W.  T. 
Sherman  at  Durham,  North  Carolina,  year  1865.  The 
actual  number  of  prisoners  paroled  (on  May  1st  and  2nd) 
after  surrender  was  33,047  officers  and  men. 

April  26  (1907) — Jamestown  (Va.)  Tercentenary 
Exposition  opened,  year  1907. 

BIRTHDAY  OF  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT 
April  27,  1822 

Ulysses  Simpson  Grant,  one  of  the  world's  great  sol 
diers,  eighteenth  President  of  the  United  States,  was  born 
at  Point  Pleasant,  Ohio,  April  27,  1822;  died  at  Mount 
McGregor,  N.  Y.,  on  July  23,  1885.  He  was  descended 
from  Matthew  Grant  who  came  from  Scotland  to  Dor 
chester,  Mass.,  in  1630.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was 
Hannah  Simpson.  He  graduated  from  West  Point  in 
1843.  When  the  Mexican  War  began  three  years  later, 
he  was  sent  to  the  front  and  fought  throughout  the  war 
under  Taylor  and  Scott  in  every  general  battle  except 
Buena  Vista.  His  record  for  bravery  and  ability  was 
high.  He  ranked  as  captain  at  the  end  of  the  conflict  in 
1848. 

But  the  army  w.as  small  and  promotion  was  slow  in 
those  days.  He  had  married  Julia  Dent.  He  could  not 
support  his  family  on  the  pay  of  captain,  so  he  resigned 
from  the  army  in  1854,  and  became  a  farmer  in  Missouri, 

84 


APRIL 

He  used  to  peddle  wood  from  his  farm  in  the  streets  of 
St.  Louis.  He  failed  as  a  farmer.  Then  he  went  into  the 
real  estate  business  in  St.  Louis,  and  again  failed.  Finally 
he  went  to  Galena,  111.,  as  a  clerk  in  the  hide  and  leather 
store  kept  by  his  brothers.  Here  he  remained  quietly, 
little  known  to  the  townpeople,  until  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War,  in  1861.  Immediately  after  the  firing  on  Fort 
Sumter  he  went  to  Springfield,  the  capital  of  Illinois,  and 
offered  his  services  to  Gov.  Richard  Yates.  But  Yates 
was  overwhelmed  with  applications  from  politicians  and 
wealthy  society  men.  Grant  had  no  political  friends  nor 
social  power  to  back  him.  The  whole  State  was  spring 
ing  to  arms.  Many  new  regiments  were  being  organized 
— all  untrained.  Experienced  officers  were  desperately 
needed.  Yet  Yates  curtly  dismissed  Grant  saying,  "There 
is  nothing  for  you  to  do." 

Still  he  waited  at  Springfield,  and  was  obliged  to 
share  a  small  room  with  another  man,  for  he  had  little 
money,  and  after  a  time  they  set  him  at  work  in  the  State 
Adjutant  General's  office,  doing  small  clerical  tasks  and, 
when  it  became  known  that  he  was  a  competent  drill 
master,  Yates  appointed  him  "mustering  officer  and  aide" 
at  a  salary  of  $3.00  a  day. 

He  saw  that  his  country  was  being  badly  served  by 
the  politicians  and  bureaucrats.  He  wrote  to  Washing 
ton,  to  the  Adjutant  General  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  offering 
his  services  to  command  a  regiment.  They  never  even 
replied  to  his  letter.  President  Lincoln,  it  seems,  had 
never  heard  of  him.  He  was  a  "nobody" ! 

Meanwhile  George  B.  McClellan,  who  had  graduated 
from  West  Point  three  years  after  Grant  and  who  had 
also  resigned  from  the  army,  was  become  the  favorite  of 
the  nation.  He  had  great  social  and  political  prestige. 
He  was  promoted  from  captain  to  major  general  in  one 
day,  and  the  Washington  War  Department  placed  him 
in  command  of  the  Department  of  Ohio.  Grant  felt  that 
McClellan  would  give  him  something  to  do.  He  went  to 
Cincinnati  and  twice  called  to  see  McClellan,  but  the 

85 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

new  major  general  evidently  did  not  want  to  see  the 
modest  Grant.  Grant  went  away.  He  said  to  a  friend — 
"I  guess  they  don't  want  me." 

But  Providence  now  intervened.  The  Twenty-first 
Illinois  Volunteers  was  a  regiment  of  tough  and  restless 
men  who  had  refused  to  march  under  their  regularly 
elected  colonel  when  they  found  he  was  only  a  "tin  sol 
dier."  The  other  "political"  colonels  were  afraid  to  take 
command  of  these  rough  men.  The  colonelcy  went  beg 
ging.  And  then  Governor  Yates  thought  of  Grant.  He 
telegraphed  offering  him  the  command.  Grant  accepted 
instantly.  Next  day  he  took  command,  and  the  men 
recognized  a  master;  in  a  little  while  they  gloried  in  him. 

Seven  weeks  later  he  was  made  a  brigadier  general. 
On  Feb.  6,  1862,  he  captured  Fort  Henry  in  Tennessee 
and  then  laid  siege  to  Fort  Donelson,  the  great  strong 
hold  of  the  State.  The  Confederate  commander,  General 
Buckner,  asked  what  terms  would  be  offered  him.  Grant 
replied:  "No  terms  other  than  unconditional  and  imme 
diate  surrender  can  be  accepted.  I  propose  to  move  im 
mediately  upon  your  works."  Buckner  surrendered  next 
day  his  15,000  men  and  all  the  North  was  thrilled.  They 
called  him  "Unconditional  Surrender  Grant"  after  that. 

Disaster  had  befallen  the  other  Union  armies.  Only 
Grant,  in  the  West  was  victorious.  On  July  4,  1863, 
Vicksburg  surrendered  to  him,  and  then  the  entire  North 
cried  out  demanding  that  he  be  placed  in  highest  com 
mand  under  the  President.  In  February,  1864,  he  was 
made  lieutenant  general  of  all  the  Union  armies.  Imme 
diately  he  made  his  headquarters  with  the  army  of  the 
Potomac.  On  May  11,  1864,  at  Spottsylvania  Court 
House,  he  sent  to  Washington  the  famous  dispatch:  "I 
propose  to  fight  it  out  on  this  line,  if  it  takes  all  summer." 
He  did  fight  it  out  on  that  line,  the  longest,  deadliest 
campaign  of  the  war.  The  result  was  the  sui  render  of 
Lee  at  Appomattox,  on  April  9,  1865. 

In  1868  he  was  nominated  by  the  Republican  party 
86 


APRIL 

for  President.  The  election  resulted  in  electoral  votes  (34 
States  voting):  Grant,  294;  Horatio  Seymour  (Demo 
crat),  80.  The  chief  event  of  his  first  administration  was 
the  arbitration  of  the  Alabama  claims  by  a  tribunal  at 
Geneva,  Switzerland.  England  paid  $15,500,000. 

In  1872  Grant  was  renominated  by  the  Republicans 
and  reelected.  The  electoral  vote  was  (37  States)  :  Grant, 
286;  Horace  Greeley  (Liberal-Republican),  47;  scattering 
among  six  other  candidates,  19.  The  chief  .events  of  his 
second  administration  were  the  Modoc  Indian  War 
.(1872-1873),  the  Sioux  Indian  War  and  Custer  Massacre 
(1876),  and  the  opening  of  the  Centennial  Exhibition  at 
Philadelphia  (1876). 

He  had  but  a  moderate  fortune  when  he  retired  from 
office,  and  this  he  invested  in  a  New  York  banking  firm 
called  The  Grant  &  Ward  Company.  The  company 
failed  in  1883  and  he  was  again  practically  penniless.  At 
once  he  began  writing  for  magazines  and  preparing  his 
"Memoirs"  and  thus  he  paid  his  debts. 

He  was  afflicted  with  cancer  of  the  tongue.  Of  this 
he  died  at  a  sanitarium  near  Saratoga,  N.  Y.  His  remains 
were  buried  at  Claremont  on  the  bank  of  the  Hudson 
River,  in  New  York  City,  and  there  was  erected  an  im 
posing  mausoleum  which  was  dedicated  on  April  17, 
1897. 

He  was  a  simple,  great-hearted  patriot.  Of  all  our 
presidents  he  was  least  a  politician.  History  will  always 
know  him  as  U.  S.  Grant,  the  Great  Soldier. 

April  27  (1791) — Samuel  Finley  Breeze  Morse,  ar 
tist,  scientist  and  inventor,  born  at  Charlestown,  Mass., 
year  1791 ;  died  at  New  York,  April  2,  1872.  He  is  best 
known  as  the  founder  of  the  American  system  of  the 
electro-magnetic  telegraph.  He  applied  for  a  patent  on 
his  invention,  Sept.  28,  1837.  The  system  was  first  used 
successfully  on  May  29,  1844. 

April  27  (1898)— Town  of  Matanzas,  Cuba,  bom 
barded  by  a  U.  S.  naval  force  of  three  warships,  year 

87 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

1898;  the  first  bombardment  of  the  Spanish  War.  It  was 
claimed  by  the  Spanish  that  no  person  in  Matanzas  was 
injured;  they  declared  that  but  one  solitary  mule  was 
killed,  and  this  was  the  only  casualty.  The  incident 
created  great  surprise  and  amusement.  "The  Matanzas 
mule"  has  a  peculiar  place  in  American  history. 

April  28  (1758)— James  Monroe,  fifth  President  of 
the  United  States,  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Va., 
year  1758;  died  at  New  York,  July  4,  1831.  Nominated 
for  President  by  Democratic-Republican  party  in  1816 
and  elected.  Electoral  vote  (18  States) — Monroe,  183; 
Rufus  King  (Federalist),  34.  Inaugurated  March  4, 
1817;  after  four  years,  was  renominated  and  elected; 
serving  until  March  4,  1825.  In  the  second  election  he 
received  every  electoral  vote  but  one  which  was  cast 
for  J.  Q.  Adams.  The  period  of  his  second  administra 
tion  was  called  the  "Era  of  Good  Feeling."  The  chief 
events  of  his  administration  were  the  purchase  of  Florida 
from  Spain  (1819),  the  enactment  of  the  "Missouri 
Compromise"  (1820),  and  the  pronouncement  of  the 
"Monroe  Doctrine"  (See  Dec.  2,  1823). 

April  29  (1862) — Patent  for  sewing  machine  for 
leather  shoes,  issued  to  the  inventor,  Gordon  McKay, 
\year  1862.  Upon  this  invention  was  built  the  great  boot 
and  shoe  industry  of  the  United  States. 

April  30  (1789) — George  Washington  inaugurated 
President,  at  New  York,  year  1789. 

April  30  (1803) — Territory  of  Louisiana  purchased 
from  France,  for  $15,000,000,  year  1803. 

April  30  (1812) — Louisiana  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1812. 

Arbor  Day,  a  legal  holiday  in  some  States,  is  ob 
served  in  some  formal  manner  in  all  the  States  and  Terri 
tories.  It  is  the  annual  tree-planting  day,  instituted  to 
encourage  general  interest  in  forestry.  The  idea  of 
annual  ceremonious  tree-planting  is  very  old,  but  it  was 

88 


APRIL 

not  until  1874  when  the  Nebraska  State  Board  of  Agri-X/ 
culture  recommended  to  the  people  of  that  State  that  the' 
"second  Wednesday  in  April"  of  each  year  be  dedicated 
to  tree-planting,  and  that  the  day  be  called  Arbor  Day, 
that    this    idea    took    its    present    form    in    the    United 
States.    Ohio  was"  the  second  State  to  observe  the  day— 
in  1882.    Because  of  our  different  climates,  the  Northern 
States  observe  Arbor  Day  on  various  dates  in  April  and 
early  May.  •  In  the   Southern   States   it   is   observed   in 
December,  January  or  February. 


89 


MAY 

BATTLE  OF  MANILA  BAY 
May  1,  1898 

War  against  Spain  had  been  declared  on  April  18, 
1898.  The  Asiatic  fleet  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  under  com 
mand  of  Commodore  George  Dewey,  had  been  lying  at 
Hong  Kong  in  China,  quietly  preparing  for  war.  Dewey 
sailed  with  his  fleet  and  crossed  the  China  Sea  600  miles 
to  the  mouth  of  Manila  Bay  in  the  Philippines.  The 
Asiatic  Spanish  fleet  was  at  anchor  in  the  Bay.  The 
Spanish  government  for  years  had  been  fortifying  the 
shores  of  the  Boca  Grande — the  strait  connecting  Manila 
Bay  with  the  ocean,  and  the  Spanish  officials  had  claimed 
that  sure  destruction  awaited  any  ship  which  attempted 
to  pass  without  their  permission. 

In  the  late  afternoon  of  April  30,  the  U.  S.  fleet 
arrived  off  the  Boca  Grande.  Dewey  called  a  council  of 
his  captains.  He  said  to  them — "I  do  not  believe  they 
expect  us  to-night,  therefore  we  will  go  in." 

After  sundown  the  fleet  was  headed  for  the  channel. 
The  names  of  the  fighting  ships  and  commanders  were: 
Olympia  (flagship),  Capt.  Charles  V.  Gridley;  Baltimore, 
Capt.  Nehemiah  M.  Dyer ;  Raleigh,  Capt.  Joseph  B.  Cogh- 
lan ;  Boston,  Capt.  Frank  Wildes ;  Concord,  Commander 
Asa  Walker;  Petrel,  Commander  P.  Wood.  The  Olympia 
was  the  largest ;  she  was  an  armored  cruiser,  340  ft.  long, 
anfl  of  nearly  6,000  tons  displacement;  she  was  about 
seven  times  as  big  as  the  smallest  fighting  ship,  the 
Petrel.  There  were  also  the  Nanshan  and  Zafiro,  trans 
ports  carrying  coal,  and  the  little  revenue  cutter  Hugh 
McCulloch,  a  dispatch  boat. 

The  moon  was  high  and  shone  clear.  There  were 
fortified  islands  in  the  passage.  To  run  by  the  Spanish 
guns  and  over  the  mines  was  a  desperate  thing  to  do 
on  such  a  night.  Yet  it  seemed  that  the  bright  moon 
light  had  thrown  the  Spanish  officers  off  their  guard. 

91 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

The  American  fleet  steamed  silently  through  the  passage, 
a  distance  of  about  25  miles.  Almost  at  the  end>  when 
nearly  out  of  range,  the  Spanish  discovered  them  and 
fired  several  shots  which  went  wide.  At  midnight  the 
fleet  was  safe  in  the  Bay,  17  miles  from  Manila.  Dewey 
slowly  steamed  on,  planning  to  reach  the  city  at  sunrise. 

At  daylight  the  Spanish  fleet  was  discovered  at 
Cavite,  eight  miles  from  Manila,  under  the  guns  of  land 
batteries.  Immediately  Dewey  steamed  to  attack.  At 
5:51  a.  m.  on  Sunday,  May  1,  Dewey  quietly  gave  his 
order  to  the  Captain  of  the  Olympia — "You  may  fire 
when  you  are  ready,  Gridley !"  Then  began  the  battle. 

The  Spanish  commander  was  Admiral  Montojo. 
He  had  eight  fighting  ships.  They  were  not  as  power 
ful  as  the  six  American  ships,  but  they  were  supported 
by  powerful  batteries  on  shore  which  nearly  equalized 
the  forces.  The  total  tonnage  of  the  Spanish  ships  was 
13,351  against  19,098  for  the  American  ships.  The  total 
number  of  guns  in  the  Spanish  fleet  was  110,  against 
Dewey's  137  guns.  The  crews  of  all  the  Spanish  vessels 
numbered  1,780,  against  1,681  in  Dewey's  fleet. 

Dewey's  plan  of  battle  kept  his  column  in  constant 
motion,  sweeping  by  the  Spanish  line  and  pouring  in  his 
fire  until  out  of  range,  then  turning  back  to  steam  in  the 
opposite  direction,  using  the  other  broadsides,  each  time 
his  line  turned  going  a  little  closer  to  the  enemy.  Back 
and  forth  they  steamed  for  two  hours,  when  it  wras  seen 
that  three  of  the  Spanish  ships  were  on  fire.  Then,  at 
7:35  a.  m.  Dewey  ordered,  "Cease  firing"  and  made  the 
signal  to  withdraw  for  breakfast,  so  the  ships  steamed 
out  into  Manila  Bay  and  the  Americans  rested  and  drank 
their  coffee.  Thus  far,  the  Americans  had  lost  but  six 
men,  all  wounded.  The  Spanish  Governor  General  here 
upon  made  a  queer  mistake.  He  thought  Dewey's  break 
fast  movement  was  a  retreat,  for  whoever  heard  of  a 
victorious  fleet  stopping  in  the  midst  of  a  battle,  after 
fighting  only  two  hours,  to  eat  breakfast?  So  he  sent 
at  once  a  cable  message  to  Madrid  saying — "Our  fleet 

92 


MAY 

engaged  the  enemy  in  brilliant  combat,  protected  by  the 
Cavite  and  Manila  forts.  They  obliged  the  enemy,  with 
heavy  loss,  to  manoeuvre  repeatedly."  A  little  later,  when 
Dewey  "manoeuvred"  again  a  less  optimistic  message  was 
sent  to  Madrid. 

At  11:16  a.  m.  Dewey  ordered  the  attack  renewed. 
In  this  second  battle,  the  Baltimore  led  the  way.  It  was 
now  the  plan  to  go  right  in,  get  near  the  Spanish  ships 
and  complete  the  destruction  in  a  short  time.  The 
Spanish  offered  a  brave  resistance.  They  continued  the* 
battle  for  an  hour  and  a  half  though  dead  and  dying  lay 
thick  upon  their  decks.  One  by  one  they  sank  or  ran 
ashore.  At  12 :30  p.  m.  the  Spanish  flag  \vas  hauled 
down  from  the  flagstaff  on  land  and  a  white  flag  was 
run  up.  The  Spanish  fleet  was  utterly  destroyed  and  the 
land  batteries  captured.  So  ended  the  amazing  battle 
of  Manila  Bay. 

.   The  American   loss   was   six  men,   all  wounded. 

The  Spanish  loss  was  618  killed,  and  wounded. 

Captain  Gridley  had  been  ill,  yet  in  his  weakened 
condition  he  remained  in  the  conning  tower  of  the 
Olympia  throughout  the  battle.  The  strain  brought  a 
relapse.  Five  weeks  later  he  died  at  Kobe,  in  Japan. 

May  1,  2,  3  (1863)— Battle  of  Chancellorsville,  Va., 
year  1863.  Gen.  Joseph  Hooker  (Union,  120,000  men) 
vs.  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee  (Confederate,  62,000  men).  Con 
federate  victory.  Union  loss,  12,197  killed  and  wounded 
and  5,000  missing— total  17,197;  Confederate  loss,  10,266 
killed  and  wounded  and  2,753  missing — total  13,019.  The 
battle  lasted  three  days.  While  the  Confederates  were 
victorious,  their  cause  suffered  a  great  blow  by  the  death 
of  Gen.  "Stonewall"  Jackson  who  was  accidentally  shot 
by  his  own  men  on  the  night  of  May  2.  It  was  largely 
through  Jackson's  genius  for  strategy  that  the  Confed 
erates  won,  and  this  battle  is  of  first  rank  among  military 
students  throughout  the  world  because  of  the  splendid 
leadership  of  the  great  Confederate  who  died  a  week 
after  the  battle. 

93 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

May  1  (1873) — One  cent  postal  cards  first  issued  by 

United  States  Government,  year  1873. 

May  1  (1878) — First  elevated  railroad  train  in  the 
development  of  municipal  rapid  transit  in  America,  year 
1878.  It  ran  from  Trinity  Church,  New  York,  to  59th 
Street,  over  the  newly  built  Sixth  Avenue  line,  a  distance 
of  four  and  three-quarter  miles,  in  sixteen  minutes.  The 
elevated  railroad  system  was  invented  by  Dr.  Rufus 
Gilbert,  of  New  York. 

May  1  (1893) — Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago, 
opened,  year  1893.  Closed,  Oct.  30,  1893.  Attendance, 
21,477,218. 

May  1  (1897) — Tennessee  Centennial  and  National 
Exposition  at  Nashville,  opened,  year  1897.  Closed 
Oct.  1  of  the  same  year.  The  total  attendance  was 
about  2,000,000. 

May  1  (1901) — Pan-American  Exposition  opened  at 
Buffalo,  year  1901.  Closed,  Nov.  1,  1901.  Attendance, 
8,120,848. 

May  1  (1904) — Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  at 
St.  Louis  opened,  1904.  Closed,  Nov.  30,  1904.  Paid 
attendance,  12,804,616. 

Second  Saturday  in  May — American  Indian  Day, 
established  by  the  Society  of  American  Indians,  year 
1915. 

Second  Sunday  in  May — Mother's  Day,  On  May  9, 
1914,  following  the  adoption  of  a  resolution  by  Congress, 
President  Wilson  issued  a  proclamation,  saying  in  part: 
"Whereas,  in  this  the  said  joint  resolution  it  is  made 
the  duty  of  the  President  to  request  the  observance  of 
the  second  Sunday  in  May  as  provided  for  in  the  said 
joint  resolution :  Now,  therefore,  I,  Woodrow  Wilson, 
President  of  the  United  States  of  America,  by  virtue  of 
the  authority  vested  in  me  by  the  said  joint  resolution, 
do  hereby  direct  the  Government  officials  to  display  the 
United  States  flag  on  all  Government  buildings,  and  do 
invite  the  people  of  the  United  States  to  display  the  flag 

94 


MAY 

at  their  homes  or  other  suitable  places  on  the  second 
Sunday  in  May,  as  a  public  expression  of  our  love  and 
reverence  for  the  mothers  of  our  country." 

May  2  (1863) — General  "Stonewall"  Jackson  shot 
by  his  own  men  at  the  Battle  of  Chancellorsville,  Va., 
year  1863. 

May  3  (1765) — First  medical  school  in  America 
established  at  Perkasie,  Pa.,  near  Philadelphia,  year  1765. 
In  1779  the  rights  and  property  of  the  school  were  trans 
ferred  to  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  by  the  State 
Legislature. 

May  4  (1796) — William  Hickling  Prescott,  historian, 
born  at  Salem,  Mass.,  year  1796;  died  at  Boston,  Jan.  28, 
1859.  His  best  known  works  are  "Reign  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella  the  Catholic,"  "History  of  the  Conquest  of 
Mexico"  and  "History  of  the  Conquest  of  Peru."  He 
has  been  accorded  the  highest  rank  of  all  American 
historians  by  the  consensus  of  European  opinion.  Above 
all,  he  entered  the  field  of  world  history  and  proved  that 
American  literature  need  not  be  imitative,  nor  secondary 
to  that  of  England. 

May  4  (1796) — Horace  Mann,  educator,  born  at 
Franklin,  Mass.,  year  1796;  died  at  Yellow  Springs, 
Ohio,  Aug.  2,  1859.  He  became  president  of  Antioch 
College,  Ohio,  and  was  the  founder  of  the  present  system 
of  co-education. 

May  4  (1886) — Haymarket  riot  and  "massacre"  in 
Chicago,  year  1886.  This  riot  grew  out  of  the  strike  for 
higher  wages  by  the  employees  of  the  McCormick 
Reaper  and  Harvester  Company  of  Chicago,  beginning 
in  Feb.,  1886.  There  was,  at  the  time,  a  group  of  Ger 
man  anarchists  in  the  country,  led  by  August  Spies  and 
Louis  Lingg,  and  this  group  organized  the  strikers  and 
sympathizers.  A  meeting  was  called  for  May  4  at  Hay- 
market  Square.  At  8  p.  m.  a  crowd  of  4,000  had  gathered. 
For  two  hours  anarchist  orators  denounced  capitalists 
and  law,  and  one  speaker  waved  a  red  flag  and  called 

95 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

upon  the  people  to  get  dynamite  and  blow  up  the  houses 
of  the  rich.  At  10  p.  m.  a  body  of  police  came  and  their 
captain  ordered  the  crowd  to  disperse.  A  moment  after 
a  light  streamed  through  the  air — the  burning  fuse  of  a 
bomb,  and  it  fell  among  the  police.  The  explosion  killed 
eight  policemen  and  wounded  a  number  of  others.  The 
police  then  fired  upon  the  mob  which  scattered  in  all 
directions  leaving  many  wounded  upon  the  pavement. 
Eight  anarchists  were  arrested  and  tried  for  murder. 
They  were  August  Spies,  Louis  Lingg,  Michael  Schwab, 
Samuel  Fielden,  Albert  R.  Parsons,  Adolph  Fischer, 
George  Engel  and  Oscar  W.  Neebe.  Neebe  was  con 
demned  to  fifteen  years  imprisonment.  The  other  seven 
were  sentenced  to  death.  Lingg  committed  suicide  in 
prison.  The  sentences  of  Schwab  and  Fielden  were  com 
muted  to  imprisonment  for  life,  and  in  1897  Governor 
Altgeld  of  Illinois  pardoned  them.  The  four  others  were 
hanged  on  Nov.  11,  1887. 

May  4  (1918)— Third  Liberty  Loan  closed.  The 
period  for  buying  the  bonds  opened  on  April  6.  A  total 
of  $4,170,019,650  was  subscribed  by  about  17,000,000 
buyers. 

May  5  (1864)— Battle  of  the  Wilderness,  Va.,  year 
1864.  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant  (Union,  100,000  men)  vs.  Gen. 
R.  E.  Lee,  (Confederate,  62,000  men).  The  battle  was 
indecisive.  It  was  fought  in  the  primeval  forest,  lasting 
three  days.  Union  loss  2,265  killed,  10,220  wounded  and 
2,902  missing— total,  15,387.  Confederate  loss  2,000 
killed,  6,000  wounded,  3,400  missing— total  11,400. 

May  6  (1851) — First  patent  for  an  ice-making  ma 
chine,  issued  to  the  inventor,  John  Gorrie  of  New  Or 
leans,  La.,  year  1851. 

May  6  (1896) — First  successful  flight  of  a  heavier- 

Ithan-air  flying  machine,  year  1896.    The  machine  was  the 

VLangley  Aeroplane,  invented  by  Dr.  Samuel  Pierrepont 

l^angley,  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the   Smithsonian 

Institution    at    Washington.     The    flight    was    made    at 

96 


MAY 

Quantico  on  the  Potomac  river  near  Washington.  There 
was  no  person  in  the  machine.  The  motor  was  started 
and  it  flew  3,000  feet,  remaining  in  the  air  1  minute  and 
20  seconds,  when  it  came  to  the  ground.  It  was  im 
mediately  started  again  and  went  2,300  feet  in  one  flight. 
This  experiment  demonstrated  the  practicability  of  aero 
planes,  though  the  great  majority  of  scientists  and  the 
vast  majority  of  the  populace  continued  skeptical.  In 
1898  the  U.  S.  Government  commissioned  Dr.  Langley 
to  build  a  man-carrying  machine.  It  was  finished  in 
1903,  and,  on  Dec.  8  of  that  year,  the  first  trial  was  made. 
It  was  a  failure.  Because  of  inefficiency  in  the  launching 
apparatus,  it  fell  into  the  water  of  the  Potomac  river  and 
the  experiment  was  abandoned.  However,  a  few  days 
later,  on  Dec.  17,  1903,  Wilbur  Wright  made  his  first 
successful  flight  with  the  Wright  Aeroplane.  (See  Dec. 
17.)  Dr.  Langley,  deeply  wounded  by  the  scorn  of 
scientists  and  public,  and  having  no  funds  to  perfect  his 
machine,  died  of  a  broken  heart  on  Feb.  27,  1906.  The 
old  Langley  aeroplane,  after  lying  in  a  Smithsonian  In 
stitution  building  for  eleven  years,  was  taken,  1914,  by 
Glen  H.  Curtiss  to  Hammondsport,  N.  Y.,  where  the 
Curtiss  Aeroplane  Manufacturing  Company  had  in 
stalled  an  efficient  launching  device,  and,  on  May  18, 
1914,  with  Mr.  Curtiss  in  the  aviator's  seat,  it  flew  suc 
cessfully  over  Lake  Keuka,  thus  vindicating  the  dead 
Dr.  Langley,  who  is  now  honored  as  the  inventor  of 
the  aeroplane. 

May  7  (1792) — Columbia  River,  Oregon,  discovered 
by  Captain  Gray  of  Boston  in  his  ship,  the  Columbia, 
year  1792. 

May  7  (1915) — Steamship  Lusitania,  Atlantic  Ocean, 
passenger  liner  of  the  Cunard  Line,  bound  from  New 
York  to  Liverpool  with  1,257  (including  188  Americans) 
passengers  and  a  crew  of  663,  was  torpedoed  by  a  Ger 
man  submarine  when  fifteen  miles  off  the  south  coast 
of  Ireland  at  the  Old  Head  of  Kinsale,  at  2:15  p.  m.  in 

97 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

clear  weather  and  a  smooth  sea,  year  1915.  The  ship 
sank  in  about  twenty  minutes.  The  total  number  lost  was 
1,154,  of  whom  793  were  passengers  (102  Americans). 

On  the  morning  of  May  1,  the  day  on  which  the  ship 
sailed  from  New  York,  the  New  York  morning  news 
papers  printed  the  following  warning  as  an  advertise 
ment  : 

"Notice — Travelers  intending  to  embark  on  the 
Atlantic  voyage  are  reminded  that  a  state  of  war 
exists  between  Germany  and  her  allies  and  Great 
Britain  and  her  allies;  that  the  zone  of  war  in 
cludes  the  waters  adjacent  to  the  British  Isles; 
that  in  accordance  with  formal  notice  given  by 
the  Imperial  German  Government  vessels  flying 
the  flag  of  Great  Britain  or  of  any  of  her  allies 
are  liable  to  destruction  in  those  waters,  and  that 
travelers  sailing  in  the  war  zone  on  ships  of  Great 
Britain  or  of  her  allies  do  so  at  their  own  risk. 
IMPERIAL  GERMAN  EMBASSY. 
"Washington,  D.  C,  April  22,  1915." 

May  8  (1846) — Battle  of  Palo  Alto,  Mexico,  year 
1846.  Gen.  Zachary  Taylor  (American,  2,300  men)  vs. 
Gen.  Arista  (Mexican,  5,100  men).  American  victory. 
American  loss,  4  killed  and  39  wounded ;  Mexican  loss 
(Arista's  statement),  102  killed  and  127  wounded. 

May  8  (1864) — Battle  of  Spottsylvania  Court  House, 
Va.,  lasting  four  days,  year  1864.  A  continuation  of  the 
Battle  of  the  Wilderness.  After  the  battle  of  May  5,  6 
and  7,  Gen.  Lee  had  intrenched  his  army  in  a  strong 
position  at  Spottsylvania  and  Grant  immediately  at 
tacked  him  again,  following  his  plan  of  hammering  con 
stantly  and  wearing  down  the  Confederate  army  by 
process  of  attrition.  The  result  was  again  indecisive. 
Union  loss,  killed  and  wounded,  13,000,  missing  1,400 — 
total,  14,400.  Confederate  loss  was  never  reported ;  it  is 
supposed  to  have  been  not  more  than  10,000.  On  May  11, 
following  this  battle,  General  Grant  telegraphed  to 

98 


MAY 

Washington :  "I  propose  to  fight  it  out  on  this  line  if  it 
takes  all  summer." 

May  9  (1793) — Government  of  France  known  as  the 
Directorate,  at  war  with  Great  Britain,  issued  a  decree, 
directing  that  all  vessels  of  neutral  countries  carrying 
supplies  of  ammunition  or  provisions  to  an  enemy's  port 
(meaning  Great  Britain)  be  seized,  year  1793.  The  de 
cree  was  a  serious  blow  to  the  commerce  between  the 
United  States  and  Great  Britain.  It  marked  the  com 
mencement  of  the  controversy  between  the  United 
States  and  France  which  brought  the  two  countries  to 
the  verge  of  war  in  1798.  It  was  followed  by  a  similar 
act  by  Great  Britain  directed  against  the  commerce  of 
neutral  nations.  (See  June  8.) 

May  9  (1800) — John  Brown  (of  Osawatomie),  born 
at  Torrington,  Conn.,  year  1800;  was  executed  by  hang 
ing  at  Charles  Town,  Va.,  Dec.  2,  1859,  for  alleged  treason 
to  the  United  States.  He  was  the  most  famous  advocate 
of  the  abolition  of  slavery — except  Lincoln — in  the  his 
tory  of  the  United  States.  On  Oct.  16,  1859,  at  the  head 
of  sixteen  men,  he  raided  Harper's  Ferry  in  Virginia  and 
released  many  slaves  and  then  established  himself  in  the 
U.  S.  arsenal  of  the  town  and  there  was  besieged  by  a 
force  of  several  hundred  militiamen  of  Virginia  and 
Maryland.  Most  of  his  men  were  killed  or  wounded.  He 
was  finally  captured,  after  several  hours  of  battle,  by  a 
company  under  Col.  Robert  E.  Lee.  A  few  weeks  later 
he  was  tried  at  Charles  Town  by  a  Virginia  court  and 
sentenced  to  death.  His  death  thrilled  the  whole  North, 
and  was  one  of  the  important  events  leading  to  the  Civil 
War. 

May  9  (1816) — American  Bible  Society  was  founded, 
year  1816.  Elias  Boudinot  of  Philadelphia,  scholar, 
lawyer  and  statesman,  was  the  first  president. 

May  9  (1846)— Battle  of  Resaca  de  la  Palma, 
Mexico,  year  1846.  A  continuation  of  the  Battle  of  Palo 
Alto.  A  complete  American  victory.  American  loss,  39 

99 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

killed,  83  wounded.  Mexican  loss  (Arista's  report),  160 
killed,  227  wounded,  159  missing.  General  Taylor  esti 
mated  that  the  Mexicans  lost  1,000  in  the  two  battles. 

May  10 — Confederate  Memorial  day  in  North  and 
South  Carolina.  (See  Memorial  Day,  May  30.) 

May  10  (1775) — Capture  of  Ticonderoga  by  Col. 
Ethan  Allen  and  a  company  of  Vermont  militia  known 
as  "Green  Mountain  Boys,"  year  1775.  The  British 
officer  asked  Allen  by  what  authority  he  demanded  the 
surrender  of  the  fort.  He  replied :  "In  the  name  of  the 
Great  Jehovah  and  the  Continental  Congress."  This  is 
the  origin  of  the  word  "continental"  in  American  history. 
(See  Meeting  of  First  Continental  Congress,  Sept.  5, 
1774.) 

May  10  (1775) — Opening  of  the  Second  Continental 
Congress  at  Philadelphia,  year  1775.  This  was  the  Con 
gress  that  adopted  the  Declaration  of  Independence  and 
managed  the  Revolutionary  War.  It  lasted  until  Oct. 
21,  1788,  more  than  thirteen  years.  Its  sessions  were 
opened  at  the  following  times  and  places:  May  10,  1775, 
Philadelphia;  Dec.  20,  1776,  Baltimore;  March  4,  1777, 
Philadelphia;  Sept.  27,  1777,  Lancaster,  Pa.;  Sept.  30, 
1777,  York,  Pa.;  July  2,  1778,  Philadelphia  (this  session 
continued  for  five  years  at  Philadelphia)  ;  June  30,  1783, 
Princeton,  N.  J. ;  Nov.  26,  1783,  Annapolis,  Md. ;  Nov.  1, 
1784,  Trenton,  N.  J. ;  Jan.  11,  1785,  New  York.  During 
the  next  three  years,  the  Congress  met  annually  on  the 
first  Monday  in  November,  at  New  York.  The  last  ses 
sion  adjourned  sine  die,  on  Oct.  21,  1788.  The  first  Na 
tional  Congress,  which  succeeded  the  Continental  Con 
gress,  met  at  New  York  and  elected  a  speaker  and  presi 
dent  of  the  Senate  on  April  6,  1789. 

May  10  (1859) — Gold  discovered  in  Colorado  by 
John  H.  Gregory,  a  government  teamster,  on  the  banks 
of  Clear  Creek,  year  1859. 

May  1.0  (1864) — "Bloody  Angle"  a  salient  of  General 
Lee's  Confederate  line  at  the  Battle  of  Spottsylvania 

100 


MAY     . 

which  was  assaulted  by  a  part  of  General  Grant's  Union 
army  under  General  Hancock.  It  is  asserted  that  the 
fiercest  fighting  of  the  Civil  War,  lasting  twenty  hours 
and  ending  at  midnight  of  the  third  day  of  the  battle, 
took  place  for  the  possession  of  this  salient  or  "angle." 
The  dead  were  piled  in  heaps  and  the  trenches  ran  blood. 
Hence  the  descriptive  name  "Bloody  Angle."  The 
Union  assault  was  unsuccessful.  (See  May  8.) 

May  10  (1865) — Jefferson  Davis,  President  of  the 
Confederate  States  of  America,  was  captured  by  a  de 
tachment  of  Union  cavalrymen  under  Lieut.  Col.  Prit- 
chard  of  Gen.  James  H.  Wilson's  command,  near  Irwins- 
ville,  Ga.,  year  1865. 

May  10  (1876) — Centennial  Exposition  at  Philadel 
phia  opened  by  President  Grant,  year  1876.  Closed  Oct. 
19  of  the  same  year. 

May  11  (1647) — Peter  Stuyvesant,  Dutch  governor, 
arrived  in  New  Amsterdam,  (New  York),  year  1647. 

May  11  (1858) — Minnesota  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1858. 

May  12  (1621) — First  marriage  ceremony  performed 
in  Plymouth  colony,  year  1621.  Gov.  Edward  Winslow's 
wife  (nee  Elizabeth  Barker)  whom  he  had  married  in 
Holland  in  1618,  died  March  24,  1621.  Seven  weeks  later 
he  married  Susanna,  the  widow  of  William  White,  whose 
husband  had  died  on  Feb.  21,  eleven  weeks  before.  It 
had  been  a  winter  of  great  suffering;  one-half  of  the 
entire  colony  had  died  in  the  period  of  five  months  be 
tween  the  Landing  at  Plymouth  and  the  day  of  this  mar 
riage.  (See  Forefather's  Day,  Dec.  22,  and  Thanksgiving 
Day.) 

May  13  (1607)— Beginning  of  the  first  English 
settlement  in  America,  at  Jamestown,  year  1607.  Cap 
tain  John  Smith  was  the  leader  and  his  colony  numbered 
105  persons,  all  men.  They  were  mostly  broken  down 
"gentlemen."  Only  twenty  were  agriculturists  or  me 
chanics. 

101 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

May  13  (1783) — Society  of  Cincinnati  organized, 
year  1783.  A  few  weeks  before  the  disbandment  of  the 
Continental  army  at  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  a  number  of  officers 
under  the  leadership  of  Gen.  Henry  Knox  met  at  the 
headquarters  of  Baron  Steuben,  near  Fishkill  Landing 
on  the  Hudson,  and  formed  the  society.  Washington 
was  elected  its  first  president.  Its  membership  was 
limited  to  commissioned  military  officers.  Its  avowed 
purpose  was  to  promote  friendship  among  its  members 
and  their  descendants,  and  provide  benevolent  aid.  From 
the  beginning,  the  society  aroused  bitter  opposition.  It 
was  charged  that  its  members  sought  to  establish  an 
aristocracy. 

May  13  (1846) — War  against  Mexico  declared  (after 
hostilities  had  begun),  year  1846,  (See  Mar.  28.) 

May  14  (1787) — Convention  met  to  draft  the  Con 
stitution  of  the  United  States,  at  Philadelphia,  year  1787. 
Washington  was  unanimously  chosen  president  of  the 
convention.  The  sessions  were  continued  daily  for  four 
months,  .-when  the  draft  was  completed  and  submitted 
to  the  several  States. 

May  15  (1602) — Cape  Cod  discovered  by  Bartholo 
mew  Gosnold,  English  navigator,  year  1602.  He  had 
sailed  from  England  on  March  26  with  twenty  colonists, 
and  had  made  landfall  at  Cape  Elizabeth,  Maine,  after  a 
voyage  of  seven  weeks.  He  and  four  others  went  ashore 
at  Cape  Cod  and  were  the  first  white  men  to  set  foot  on 
the  soil  of  New  England  (excepting  possibly  the  Norse 
men).  He  established  his  colony  on  an  island  at  the 
mouth  of  Buzzard's  Bay,  which  island  is  now  called  No 
Man's  Land.  The  settlement  was  abandoned  after  a  few 
weeks  and  the  colonists  returned  to  England. 

May  15  (1918) — First  regular  aero  mail  service  in 
the  world  inaugurated  by  the  U.  S.  Government,  year 
1918,  between  New  York  and  Washington.  The  time  of 
flight  from  New  York  to  Washington  was  3  hours  and 
20  minutes  including  6  minutes  stop  for  relaying  at  Phila- 

102 


MAY 

dclphia.  At  the  same  time  air  planes  in  relays  from 
Washington  to  New  York  flew  the  distance  in  4  hours 
and  47  minutes — including  a  stop  in  Maryland  because 
of  an  accident.  The  fastest  railroad  train  record  between 
the  two  cities  at  that  time  was  5  hours.  The  aero  postage 
was  24  cents  an  ounce. 

May  16  (1863) — Clement  Laird  Valandigham,  of 
Ohio,  member  of  Congress  and  foremost  of  the  Northern 
men  who  sympathized  with  the  Southern  cause  during 
the  Civil  War,  was  arrested  and  charged  with  treason 
to  the  United  States,  year  1863.  It  was  shown  before  the 
military  court  which  tried  him,  that  he  had  delivered  a 
public  speech  in  which  he  denounced  the  war  as  "cruel 
and  unnecessary."  He  was  convicted  and  sentenced  to 
imprisonment,  but  President  Lincoln  commuted  the  sen 
tence  to  deportation  beyond  the  lines.  The  Confederates 
would  not  receive  him,  and  he  became  a  wanderer,  a 
man  without  a  country.  His  friends,  who  were  bitterly 
called  "Copperheads"  in  the  North,  nominated  him  for 
Governor  of  Ohio.  He  was  overwhelmingly  defeated. 
He  returned  quietly  to  his  home  in  Ohio  in  1864. 

May  17  (1864) — Postoffice  money  order  system 
established  by  Congress,  year  1864. 

May  18  (1824) — Machine  for  making  nails  patented, 
year  1824. 

May  18  (1899) — Peace  Day.  Opening  of  the  Inter 
national  Peace  Conference  at  The  Hague,  Holland,  which 
established  the  permanent  Court  of  Arbitration  for  the 
settlement  of  issues  between  and  among  nations,  year 
1899.  The  conference  was  first  proposed  by  the  Czar 
of  Russia. 

May  18  (1917)— Conscription  Act  of  Congress  to 
provide  by  selective  draft  an  army  for  the  war  against 
Germany,  signed  by  President  Wilson,  who  also  issued 
a  proclamation  appointing  the  forthcoming  June  5  the 
national  day  of  registration  for  the  draft,  year  1917. 

May  19  (1643) — Four  colonies,  Massachusetts  Bay, 
103 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Plymouth,  Connecticut  and  New  Haven  formed  a  con 
federation  under  the  title  "The  United  Colonies  of  New 
England,"  year  1643.  This  was  the  first  confederation  in 
America,  and  the  prototype  of  the  United  States. 

May  19  (1780)— The  "Dark  Day"  in  New  England, 
year    1780.     So-called    because    a    mysterious    darkness 
y  overspread  all  New  England,  beginning  at  10  o'clock  in 
\  the   morning   and    continuing   until    dawn   of    next    day. 
Generally  there  were  no  clouds,  yet  candles  had  to  be 
lighted  in  all  houses  and  out-door  work  was  suspended. 
Hundreds   of  thousands   attributed   the   phenomenon   to 
supernatural  influences.     Astronomers  and  other  scien 
tists  have  never  satisfactorily  explained  it.    Astronomical 
records  show  no  eclipse  of  the  sun  on  that  day. 

May  20  (1506) — Christopher  Columbus  died  at  Val- 
ladolid,  Spain,  year  1506.  (See  Discovery  of  America, 
Oct.  12,  1492). 

May  20  (1881)— The  Revised  New  Testament  was 
published  simultaneously  in  England,  America  and  Aus 
tralia,  year  1881.  On  that  day,  approximately  1,000,000 
copies  were  sold. 

May  21  (1881) — The  American  Association  of  the 
Red  Cross  was  founded  and  a  constitution  adopted  at  a 
meeting  held  at  Washington,  D.  C,  year  1881.  Miss 
Clara  Barton  was  elected  president.  She  was  the  Ameri 
can  leader  in  the  Red  Cross  movement  and  was  unques 
tionably  the  founder  of  the  American  Association. 

The  idea  of  the  Red  Cross  was  first  put  in  form  by 
Henri  Dunant  of  Switzerland,  in  a  book  entitled,  "A 
Souvenir  of  Solferino,"  published  about  the  year  1860. 
The  book  described  the  terrible  conditions  of  wounded 
men  left  upon  the  battle-field  of  Solferino  (June  24,  1859) 
in  the  war  for  Italian  independence  against  Austria.  Du 
nant  advocated  more  humane  and  extensive  appliances 
in  aid  of  wounded  soldiers.  His  book,  and  lectures  fol 
lowing  it,  resulted  in  the  organization  of  The  Inter 
national  Committee  of  the  Red  Cross  at  a  conference  in 

104 


MAY 

Geneva  which  opened  on  Oct.  26,  1863  and  lasted  four 
days.  Fourteen  governments  were  represented  and  sev 
eral  philanthropic  societies.  In  August  of  the  next  year 
—1864 — the  Committee  at  Geneva  formulated  "The  In 
ternational  Red  Cross  Treaty — For  the  Amelioration  of 
the  Condition  of  Wounded  Soldiers  in  Armies  at  the 
Field."  France  was  the  first  nation  to  adopt  the  articles 
of  the  Convention  of  Geneva — so  the  formulating  body 
was  called — on  Sept.  22,  1864.  Of  the  other  great  powers, 
Italy  adopted  them  on  Dec.  4,  1864;  Great  Britain,  Feb. 
18,  1865;  Prussia,  June  22,  1865;  Austria,  July  21,  1866; 
Russia,  May  22,  1867;  The  United  States  (Senate  rati 
fied),  March  16,  1882;  Japan,  June  5,  1886. 

The  United  States  was  the  thirty-second  nation  to 
adopt  the  articles — eighteen  years  after  France.  The 
official  action  of  the  United  States  Government  was  due 
largely  to  the  force  and  enthusiasm  of  Clara  Barton  ex 
erted  to  that  purpose.  The  supineness  of  American  gov 
ernment  officialdom  during  so  many  years  when  the  Red 
Cross  of  Europe  had  become  the  great  symbol  of  humani- 
tarianism  in  that  continent,  is  a  cause  for  regret  approach 
ing  shame  in  the  heart  of  every  true  citizen  of  this  nation. 
The  story  of  how  the  International  Committee  urged  the 
United  States  Government  to  adopt  the  Articles  of  the 
Geneva  Convention,  and  of  how  the  matter  was  buried 
by  Washington  bureaucrats,  and  of  how  Clara  Barton 
persisted  and  finally  won,  is  told  by  Miss  Barton  herself 
in  her  book,  "The  Red  Cross,"  published  in  1898.  She 
gives  the  largest  degree  of  credit  to  James  G.  Blaine, 
Secretary  of  State  in  President  Garfield's  cabinet,  for 
finally  bringing  about  the  adoption  of  the  Red  Cross 
treaty  by  the  United  States. 

Miss  Clara  Barton  was  born  in  a  small  country  house 
— a  story  and  a  half — at  Oxford,  Mass.,  on  Christmas 
Day,  year  1821  ;  she  died  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  April  12, 
1912,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Her  father,  Captain 
Stephen  Barton,  was  a  soldier.  The  family  adopted  the 

105 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Universalist  creed.  According  to  Eppler's  "Life  of 
Clara  Barton,"  in  1824,  at  the  age  of  three  years,  she  was 
carried  to  school  by  her  brother — probably  to  be  admired 
as  the  school  baby.  At  eleven  years  she  was  the  nurse 
of  her  brother  David.  She  began  her  work  for  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers  during  the  Civil  War.  She  went  to  the 
battle-fields  of  the  Franco-Prussian  War  (1870)  where 
she  worked  with  the  International  Red  Cross.  Though 
far  advanced  in  years,  she  went  to  Cuba  in  the  Spanish- 
American  War  (1898)  as  the  field  corrimander  of  the 
American  Red  Cross.  On  June  16,  1904,  she  resigned  the 
presidency,  having  held  the  office  continuously  for 
twenty-three  years — since  the  founding.  Her  career  pro 
foundly  affected  the  social  life  of  this  nation,  and  no 
woman  in  all  American  history  ranks  higher  in  the  minds 
and  hearts  of  the  citizenry  of  the  United  States. 

May  21  (1902) — The  United  States  army  and  public 
administration  officers  retired  from  Cuba,  turning  over 
the  government  to  the  newly  elected  Cuban  government, 
year  1902. 

May  22  (1865)— Last  bloodshed  in  battle  of  the  Civil 
War,  year  1865.  A  man  named  Bordunix  and  two  other 
Virginians  under  him,  scorning  their  fellow  Confederates 
who  had  quit  before  the  advance  of  Gen.  Stoneman's 
Federal  cavalry  after  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Lee,  defied 
a  force  of  500  Federals  at  Floyd  Court  House,  Va.  The 
three  men  marched  boldly  to  meet  the  Federals,  who 
were  amazed.  Suddenly  they  deployed  into  a  clump  of 
bushes  and  fired,  wounding  two  Union  men.  Quickly 
they  delivered  another  volley,  wounding  others  of  the 
astonished  Federals,  and  then  retreated.  The  Federals 
did  not  fire  upon  them,  but  pursued  for  six  miles  through 
rough  country  to  take  them  alive,  while  the  three  kept 
up  the  battle.  At  last  they  took  a  position  in  a  grave 
yard  and  delivered  a  final  volley.  Then  the  order  was 
given  the  Federals  to  fire,  and  300  muskets  were  dis 
charged,  riddling  to  instant  death  the  three  last  mus- 

106 


MAY 

keteers  of  the  Confederacy.  They  were  buried  in  the 
graveyard  where  they  fell. 

May  23  (1872) — First  National  Convention  of  Work- 
ingmen  as  a  political  party  or  group,  at  New  York, 
nominated  for  President  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant  and  for  Vice- 
President  Henry  Wilson,  year  1872.  These  were  the 
regular  Republican  candidates. 

May  24  (1819) — Steamship  Savannah  sailed  from  Sav 
annah,  Ga.,  for  Liverpool,  the  first  steamship  to  cross  the 
Atlantic,  year  1819.  The  ocean  passage  was  made  in 
twenty-two  days.  It  was  a  little  craft  of  350  tons,  with 
a  90  horse-power  engine;  the  fuel  was  pitch  pine  wood. 
It  was  rigged  as  a  sailing  vessel  with  three  masts  and 
square  yards.  It  was  built  at  Elizabethport,  N.  J.,  by  a 
syndicate  of  which  William  Scarborough  of  Savannah 
was  the  chief. 

May  24  (1844) — First  public  demonstration  of  the 
magnetic  telegraph,  year  1844.  Samuel  F.  B.  Morse,  the 
inventor,  sent  from  Baltimore  a  message  over  the  newly 
constructed  line  to  Washington.  The  message,  a  quota 
tion  from  the  Bible,  was,  "What  hath  God  wrought?" 
(From  the  Bible,  Numbers  XXIII,  23.)  It  was  received 
by  Alfred  Vail,  and  returned  at  once.  Prior  to  this,  on 
May  1,  1844,  during  the  period  of  private  experimenta 
tion,  a  message  had  been  sent  from  Baltimore  announcing 
the  nomination  of  Henry  Clay  as  the  candidate  of  the 
Whig  party  for  president.  On  May  29,  a  message  was 
sent  announcing  the  nomination  of  Jas.  K.  Polk  by  the 
Democratic  party. 

May  24  (1861)— Col.  E.  Elmer  Ellsworth,  of  the  New 
York  Fire  Zouaves — a  Federal  regiment  of  the  Civil  War, 
was  shot  dead  while  pulling  down  a  Confederate  flag 
which  was  flying  over  the  Marshal  House  in  Alexandria, 
Va.,  by  the  hotel  proprietor,  J.  W.  Jackson,  year  1861. 
One  of  Ellsworth's  men  instantly  killed  Jackson  in  re 
taliation. 

May  24  (1875) — The  American  Bankers'  Association 
107 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

was  founded  by  seventeen  banking  men,  representing 
eleven  cities,  who  met  at  Barnum's  Hotel,  Broadway, 
New  York.  The  first  convention  was  held  at  Saratoga, 
N.  Y.,  July  20,  21,  22,  year  1875,  with  300  present.  Chas. 
B.  Hall,  cashier  of  the  Boston  National  Bank  was  elected 
first  President.  The  association  came  into  existence  as 
a  result  of  the  great  financial  panic  of  1873. 

May  24  (1883)— New  York  and  Brooklyn  Bridge— 
the  first  bridge  between  the  two  cities,  was  dedicated  and 
opened,  year  1883.  The  construction  was  commenced 
on  Jan.  3,  1870.  The  cost  was  approximately  $20,000,000. 

May  25  (1803) — Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  poet  and 
philosopher,  born  at  Boston,  year  1803 ;  died  at  Concord, 
Mass.,  April  27,  1882.  He  is  ranked  among  the  great 
philosophic  writers  of  the  world,  and  is  supremely  the 
highest  in  rank  in  America. 

May  26  (1836)— First  "gag  rule"  adopted  by  the 
House  of  Representatives  at  Washington,  year  1836.  It 
read :  "Resolved,  that  all  petitions,  memorials,  resolu 
tions,  propositions,  or  papers  relating  in  any  way  to  the 
subject  of  slavery,  or  the  abolition  of  slavery,  shall,  with 
out  either  being  printed  or  referred,  be  laid  upon  the 
table."  The  resolution  was  ostensibly  adopted  "for  the 
purpose  of  arresting  agitation  and  restoring  tranquility 
to  the  public  mind."  In  plain  fact,  it  was  intended  to 
suppress  the  discussion  of  the  slavery  question  and  it  in 
evitably  failed. 

May  26  (1865)— Gen.  E.  Kirby  Smith,  Confederate 
general,  surrendered  the  last  army  of  the  Confederacy, 
numbering  18,000,  to  Gen.  E.  R.  Canby  (Union),  near 
Brazos,  Texas,  year  1865. 

May  27  (1794) — Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  financier, 
("Commodore"  Vanderbilt)  born  near  Stapleton,  Staten 
Island,  N.  Y.,  year  1794;  died  at  New  York,  Jan.  4,  1877. 
He  was  the  first  of  the  old  Dutch  family  of  that  name 
to  achieve  success  as  a  financier  and  was  the  founder 
of  the  present  great  fortune  of  the  Vanderbilt  family. 

108 


MAY 

He  was  the  son  of  a  Dutch  farmer.  He  began  business 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  carrying  farm  produce  and 
passengers  in  a  small  ferry  boat  from  Staten  Island  to 
New  York.  His  chief  accomplishment  was  the  organiza 
tion  of  the  New  York  Central  and  Hudson  River  Ry. 
Of  the  capital  stock  of  $150,000,000  at  the  beginning,  he 
owned  51  per  cent.  At  his  death,  his  wealth  was  estimated 
at  $100,000,000. 

May  28  (1798) — Congress  authorized  President  John 
Adams,  in  case  of  an  actual  declaration  of  war  or  invasion 
by  an  enemy,  to  enlist  10,000  men  in  a  provisional  army, 
year  1798.  At  that  time,  war  with  France  was  imminent. 
Ex-President  Washington,  then  in  retirement  at  Mount 
Vernon,  was  appointed  lieutenant-general  of  this  army, 
and,  on  June  17,  accepted  the  commission.  But  a  declara 
tion  of  war  was" avoided  and  the  difficulties  settled  with 
no  bloodshed  except  in  two  naval  engagements.  (See 
Feb.  9,  Feb.  25,  and  Oct.  19.) 

May  29  (1848)— Wisconsin  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1848. 

May  29  (1856) — First  Republican  State  convention  in 
Illinois  met  at  Bloomington.  Abraham  Lincoln,  one  of 
the  delegates,  was  the  favorite  for  the  nomination  for 
governor,  but  he  suggested  that  William  H.  Bissell  be 
nominated  and  this  was  done.  Lincoln  addressed  the 
convention  for  one  hour,  holding  the  delegates  spell 
bound.  It  is  said  the  reporters  were  so  enthralled  that 
they  forgot  to  take  notes  and  so  this  great  speech  by  Lin 
coln,  known  as  the  "Lost  Speech,"  was  never  reported. 

MEMORIAL  DAY 
May  30 

On  May  5,  1868,  General  John  A.  Logan,  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  issued  a 
general  order  to  the  comrades  of  the  organization.  The 
opening  sentence  was  as  follows :  "The  30th  of  May, 
1868,  is  designated  for  the  purpose  of  strewing  with 

109 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

flowers  or  otherwise  decorating  the  graves  of  comrades 
who  died  in  defense  of  their  country  during  the  late  re 
bellion,  and  whose  bodies  now  lie  in  almost  every  city, 
village  and  hamlet  churchyard  of  the  land."  A  follow 
ing  paragraph  explained:  "It  is  the  purpose  of  the  Com 
mander-in-chief  to  inaugurate  this  observance  with  the 
hope  that  it  will  be  kept  up  from  year  to  year  while  a 
survivor  of  the  war  remains  to  honor  the  memory  of  his 
departed  comrades." 

The  order  by  General  Logan  originated  the  formal 
celebration  of  the  day  in  the  Northern  States.  The  word 
"memorial"  was  not  used  in  the  order.  By  common  con 
sent  the  festival  was  called  "Decoration  Day."  After  a 
few  years,  in  the  early  70's,  the  leaders  of  the  G.  A.  R. 
decided  that  the  title  "Decoration  Day"  did  not  express 
the  real  purpose  of  the  services  which  had  come  to  mark 
the  observance  of  the  day,  and  they  changed  the  title  to 
"Memorial  Day"  and  it  has  ever  since  been  officially 
known  by  that  title.  However,  the  vast  majority  of 
people  outside  the  membership  of  the  G.  A.  R.  clung  to 
the  title  "Decoration  Day,"  and  even  now  it  is  probable 
that  a  majority  of  the  people  prefer  this  title. 

General  Logan  did  not  claim  that  he  conceived  the 
idea  of  Decoration  Day.  It  is  a  matter  of  record  that  on 
June  9,  1865,  one  month  after  the  surrender  at  Appomat- 
tox,  the  women  of  Richmond,  Va.,  went  to  Hollywood 
Cemetery,  leading  a  large  body  of  men  who  marched 
there,  and  they  placed  flowers  upon  the  graves  of  Con 
federate  soldiers,  and  also  upon  the  graves  of  Union  sol 
diers.  It  is  a  common  tradition  in  the  South  that 
Southern  women,  at  each  springtime,  strewed  flowers 
upon  the  battlefields  above  the  dust  of  soldiers,  Con 
federate  and  Union  alike. 

In  the  states  of  Georgia,  Alabama,  Florida  and  Mis 
sissippi,  April  26  is  the  annual  "Decoration  Day."  North 
and  South  Carolina  both  designate  May  10.  In  the  Gulf 
States,  the  season  of  flowers  is  at  its  height  in  the  last 

110 


MAY 

week  of  April,  and  therefore  Decoration  Day  is  observed 
a  month  earlier  than  in  the  North. 

May  30  (1901) — Hall  of  Fame  for  Great  Americans 
formally  opened,  1901.  It  is  a  building  on  the  grounds 
of  New  York  University,  provided  by  funds  given  by 
Helen  M.  Gould.  Names  of  Great  Americans  are  selected 
by  a  jury  of  100.  A  bronze  tablet  bearing  the  name  of 
each  person  selected,  is  placed  in  the  Hall. 

May  31  (1775)— Mecklenburg  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence,  year  1775.  It  is  alleged  that  Col.  Adam  Alex 
ander,  early  in  May,  1775,  called  upon  the  people  of 
Mecklenburg  County,  N.  C.,  to  appoint  delegates  to  a 
convention  which  would  devise  ways  and  means  to  aid 
their  brethren  in  Massachusetts.  The  convention  met  at 
Charlotte,  N.  C.,  on  May  19,  1775.  The  Declaration  of 
Independence,  it  is  alleged,  was  adopted  by  this  conven 
tion  after  nearly  two  weeks,  thus  antedating  the  Decla 
ration  of  Thomas  Jefferson  and  his  associates  by  more 
than  a  year.  But  the  fact  and  date  of  the  so-called  Meck 
lenburg  Declaration  have  not  been  proved  to  the  satis 
faction  of  all  competent  historians.  The  controversy  has 
lasted  from  the  time  of  the  Second  Continental  Congress, 
and  probably  never  will  be  decided. 

May  31  (1819)— Walt  (Walter)  Whitman,  some 
times  called  "the  Good  Gray  Poet,"  born  at  West  Hills, 
Long  Island,  N.  Y. ;  died  at  Camden,  N.  J.,  March  26, 
1892.  An  extreme  cultured  group  of  literary  critics  in 
America  and  Europe  assert  that  he  was  the  greatest  poet 
America  had  produced  up  to  the  end  of  the  last  century. 
The  rationalistic  critics  generally  admit  his  genius  but 
deny  his  rank  as  a  poet.  His  best  known  work  was 
"Leaves  of  Grass"  (published  in  1855),  a  series  of  poems 
dealing  with  moral,  social  and  political  problems  of  Amer 
ican  life,  in  irregular  rhythm  or  prose  rhythm  form,  which 
form  is  commonly  known  as  vers  libre  or  "free  verse."  He 
was  the  first  great  writer  of  the  English  speaking  peoples 
to  use  this  form.  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson  said  of  this 

111 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

book:  "I  find  incomparable  things  said  incomparably." 
George  Saintsbury  in  his  "History  of  English  Prosody/' 
writing  about  American  poets,  expresses  this  opinion : 
"After  Poe  .  .  .  the  poet  of  genius,  and  Longfellow,  the 
poet  of  exceptional  and  wide-ranging  talent,  .  .  .  there 
is  an  unusual  aptness  in  Walt  Whitman,  another  poet  of 
genius  who  devotes  himself  to  formal,  as  to  other,  revolt. 
.  .  .  From  Whitman's  actual  experiments  it  is  clear  that 
had  he  chosen,  and  taken  the  trouble,  he  could  have 
written  beautiful  verse  proper." 

May  31  (1862)— Battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  Va.  (or  Seven 
Pines),  year  1862.  The  advance  guard  of  the  Union 
army  of  the  Potomac,  numbering  about  10,000  men  under 
Gen.  Silas  Casey,  was  attacked  by  about  15,000  Con 
federates  under  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston  and  Gen.  James 
Longstreet,  a  few  miles  east  of  Richmond.  The  sanguin 
ary  struggle  lasted  all  day  and  part  of  June  1st.  Casey 
wras  reinforced  by  5,000,  and,  at  the  end,  the  Confed 
erates  retired  to  their  intrenchments  at  Richmond,  leav 
ing  the  Federals  master  of  the  field — a  technical  Union 
victory.  Each  side  lost  about  7,000  men  in  killed, 
wounded  and  missing.  Considering  the  numbers  en 
gaged,  this  was  one  of  the  bloodiest  battles  of  the  Civil 
War. 

May  31  (1889)— Johnstown,  Pa.,  Flood,  year  1889. 
Long  continued  rain  caused  the  Connemaugh  river,  in 
Pennsylvania,  to  rise  and  break  the  dam  eighteen  miles 
above  Johnstown.  The  enormous  mass  of  water  rushed 
down  the  valley  as  fast  as  a  swift  railroad  train,  and 
destroyed  the  lives  of  2,142  persons  in  the  low  lying 
section  of  Johnstown.  The  value  of  property  destroyed 
was  officially  estimated  at  $9,674,155. 

May  31  (1913) — Seventeenth  Amendment  to  the 
Constitution  adopted.  It  reads  in  part :  "The  Senate  of 
the  United  States  shall  be  composed  of  two  senators  from 
each  State,  elected  by  the  people  thereof,  for  six  years." 
Prior  to  the  adoption  of  this  amendment,  United  States 
Senators  had  been  selected  by  the  Legislatures,  and  not 
by  popular  vote. 

112 


JUNE 

June  1  (1792) — Kentucky  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1792. 

June  1  (1796) — Tennessee  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  ye'ar  1796. 

June  1  (1813)— Battle  between  the  U.  S.  S.  Chesa 
peake  and  H.  M.  S.  Shannon,  year  1813  (War  of  1812). 
Captain  Philip  Broke  of  the  British  frigate  sent  a  chal 
lenge  to  Captain  James  Lawrence  of  the  American 
frigate  lying  in  Boston  harbor  to  come  out  on  the  high 
sea  and  fight.  Lawrence  sailed  out  on  June  1st,  before 
the  challenge  was  delivered.  The  duel  was  fought  in 
Massachusetts  Bay,  about  18  miles  east  of  Boston  light 
house.  The  two  ships  were  well  matched  as  to  size,  ar 
mament  and  sailing  power.  The  crew  of  the  British  ship 
was  superior  in  character  and  discipline.  The  battle  be 
gan  about  6  p.  m.  and  lasted  only  15  minutes,  when  the 
Chesapeake,  her  rigging  shot  away,  her  captain  mortally 
wounded  and  the  British  crew  boarding  her,  surrend 
ered.  Captain  Lawrence,  lying  below  decks  and  dying, 
wrhispered  his  last  words  to  his  men  near  him,  "Don't 
give  up  the  ship !"  The  phrase  became  a  battle  cry  of  the 
nation.  The  American  crew,  numbering  340  men,  lost  47 
killed  and  99  wounded.  Of  the  British  crew  of  330  men, 
24  were  killed  and  83  wounded. 

June  1  (1864)— Battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  year 
1864.  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant  (Union,  65,000  men)  vs.  Gen.  R. 
E.  Lee  (Confederate,  35,000  men  in  intrenchments).  Con 
federate  victory.  The  battle  lasted  until  1  p.  m.  of  June 
3rd.  At  noon  of  the  last  day  the  Union  forces  delivered 
their  most  determined  assault ;  it  was  repulsed  with  great 
loss;  it  is  estimated  that  6,000  Union  men  fell  killed  or 
wounded  in  twenty  minutes,  while  the  Confederates  lost 
less  than  1,000  in  the  same  time.  The  Union  troops  were 
withdrawn,  and  Grant  made  a  new  plan  to  take  Rich 
mond.  The  Union  loss  in  the  three  days'  battle  was  re- 

113 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

ported  as  1,769  killed,  8,411  wounded  and  1,537  missing- 
total  11,717.  The  Confederate  loss  was  not  reported;  it 
was  estimated  at  3,500. 

June  1  (1898) — Trans-Mississippi  International  Ex 
position  opened  at  Omaha,  Nebr.,  year  1898.  The  total 
attendance  was  2,613,508. 

June  2  (1851) — The  Maine  Law,  an  act  "to  prohibit 
drinking  houses  and  tippling  shops"  was  approved  by  the 
Governor,  William  G.  Crosby,  year  1851.  Thus  Maine 
was  the  first  "prohibition"  State  in  the  Union. 

June  2  (1862) — Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  took  command 
of  the  Confederate  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  near 
Richmond,  year  1862.  He  relieved  Gen.  Joseph  E.  John 
ston  who  had  been  wounded  at  the  Battle  of  Fair  Oaks 
(or  Seven  Pines),  May  31,  1862.  Lee  continued  in  com 
mand  of  this  army  throughout  the  Civil  War,  until  April 
9,  1865.  He  was  never  actual  commander-in-chief  of  the 
Confederate  forces.  (See  Birthday  of  Jefferson  Davis, 

June  3.) 

i 

BIRTHDAY  OF  JEFFERSON  DAVIS,  PRESIDENT 

OF  THE  CONFEDERATE  STATES 

OF  AMERICA 

June  3,  1808 

Jefferson  Davis  was  born  in  Todd  County,  Ky., 
June  3,  1808,  less  than  a  year  before  the  birth  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  at  a  place  but  a  short  distance  from  Lincoln's 
birthplace  in  the  same  State.  He  was  descended  from 
Scotch-Irish  and  Welsh  ancestry.  His  father,  Samuel 
Davis,  was  one  of  the  border  pioneers.  He  was  the 
youngest  of  nine  children. 

The  early  parallel  between  the  lives  of  Davis  and 
Lincoln  has  furnished  a  subject  for  speculation  to  many 
writers.  Lincoln  moved  north  to  Indiana  and  later  to 
Illinois  where  slavery  was  forbidden.  Davis  moved 
south  to  Mississippi  where  slavery  was  accepted  as  a 
divine  institution.  If  Lincoln  had  been  taken  south  by 

114 


JUNE 

his  parents,  and  if  the  father  of  Davis  had  gone  north, 
would  Lincoln  have  become  a  slave  holder  and  would 
Davis  have  become  an  abolitionist? 

There  was  a  striking  likeness  in  the  physical  appear 
ance  of  Lincoln  and  Davis  when  they  both  came  to  man 
hood.  Davis  was  over  six  feet  tall,  spare,  with  irregular 
features,  high  cheek  bones,  high  forehead,  and  blue  gray 
eyes.  His  limbs  were  long  and  loose  like  Lincoln's.  But 
physical  training  changed  Davis.  His  father  became  rich, 
and  sent  young  Davis  to  Transylvania  College  at  Lexing 
ton,  Ky.  While  there  he  received  the  appointment  as 
cadet  to  West  Point.  He  graduated  from  the  military 
academy  in  1828,  ranking  twentieth  in  a  class  of  thirty- 
three — about  as  high  as  U.  S.  Grant  who  graduated  fif 
teen  years  later. 

Carl  Schurz  writes  that  Davis  went  home  from  West 
Point  "every  inch"  an  aristocrat,  which  pleased  his 
family. 

He  served  for  seven  years  as  a  lieutenant  in  the 
United  States  Army,  in  the  Northwest  against  the  In 
dians,  and  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  There  is  a  tradition 
that,  in  the  war,  he  met  and  talked  with  Lincoln,  who 
was  a  volunteer  officer. 

In  1835  he  resigned  his  commission  and  became  a 
cotton  planter  in  Mississippi.  He  married  the  daughter 
of  Col.  Zachary  Taylor  (who  later  became  President),  a 
romantic  elopement  and  marriage,  which  interested  the 
whole  country.  The  pair  were  both  stricken  with  the 
fever  of  the  Gulf  country  and  the  bride  died  a  few  months 
after  her  wedding.  The  husband  recovered  slowly.  He 
never  regained  good  health. 

He  began  his  public  career  in  1843,  when  he  was 
elected  to  the  legislature  of  his  State.  Two  years  later 
he  was  elected  to  Congress.  Then  came  the  Mexican 
War  and  he  joined  the  army  of  his  father-in-law,  General 
Taylor,  as  colonel  of  a  Mississippi  regiment.  He  cov 
ered  himself  and  his  State  with  glory.  He  was  acclaimed 
"the  hero  of  Buena  Vista,"  where  he  was  wounded. 

115 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

He  was  elected  United  States  Senator  from  Missis 
sippi  in  1847.  At  the  death  of  John  C.  Calhoun  in  1850, 
he  succeeded  to  the  leadership  of  the  South  in  Congress. 
President  Pierce  appointed  him  Secretary  of  War  in  1853. 
He  dominated  the  Pierce  administration.  The  South 
looked  upon  him  as  its  candidate  for  the  Presidency  of 
the  United  States  to  succeed  Buchanan.  But  in  the  later 
50's  there  came  to  the  fore  another  Democrat,  Senator 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  of  Illinois,  who  had  little  in  common 
with  the  slave  holders  of  the  South.  These  two  men  di 
vided  the  Democratic  party  into  Northern  Democrats  and 
Southern  Democrats,  and  because  of  this  division,  Lin 
coln  was  elected  President  in  1860. 

Davis  did  not  believe,  like  Lincoln,  that  the  masses 
were  fitted  to  govern  the  United  States.  He  had  been  a 
sincere  Union  man  as  long  as  government  was  ordered 
by  the  intellectual  and  wealthy  interests  of  the  South. 
When  Lincoln's  election  smashed  the  old  regime,  he  ac 
cepted  Secession  as  the  only  alternative  for  his  section 
and  class.  On  Feb.  18,  1861,  he  was  chosen  president  of 
the  provisional  government  of  the  Confederate  States  of 
America,  organized  at  Montgomery,  Ala.  In  1862,  he 
was  regularly  elected  for  a  term  of  six  years.  He  kept 
his  residence  at  Richmond,  Va.,  during  the  four  years  of 
war. 

After  the  surrender  at  Appomattox,  in  April,  1865, 
he  endeavored  to  escape.  He  was  captured  by  Federal 
cavalrymen  at  Irwinsville,  Ga.,  on  May  10,  1865.  He  was 
charged  with  conspiring  to  assassinate  President  Lincoln. 
He  easily  disproved  the  charge,  and  now  no  thinking  man 
believes  he  had  anything  to  do  with  the  assassination. 
But  he  was  kept  a  prisoner  at  Fortress  Monroe  for  two 
years  under  the  general  charge  of  treason,  while  Lee  was 
entirely  free,  having  the  sympathy  and  even  admiration 
of  millions  in  the  North.  Davis  alone  was  made  the 
scapegoat.  Yet  he  remained  a  proud  man,  unreconciled. 
He  was  urged  to  ask  for  pardon.  He  refused,  preferring 
to  go  to  the  scaffold  rather  than  admit  he  had  done 

116 


JUNE 

wrong.    And  finally,  on  May  4,  1867,  he  was  set  free  upon 
the  same  conditions  as  the  soldiers  of  Lee's  army. 

He  went  to  live  in  Canada  where  his  wife  had  made 
a  home,  near  Montreal.  The  climate  was  too  severe  and 
after  a  short  time  he  removed  to  Cuba,  and  in  1868  sailed 
for  England  where  he  was  received  as  a  hero.  In  1869 
he  returned  and  settled  at  Memphis,  Term.,  as  president 
of  a  life  insurance  company.  There  he  lived  until  1874 
when  the  company  failed  and  he  was  left  almost  penni 
less.  For  four  years  more  he  strove  in  commercial  ven 
tures  without  success.  Finally,  in  1878,  broken  in  health, 
he  retired  to  "Beauvoir"  in  Mississippi  on  the  Gulf  coast, 
a  home  which  was  given  him  by  a  southern  woman,  Mrs. 
Sarah  R.  Dorsey,  and  there  he  lived  until  the  end,  and 
wrote  his  monumental  literary  work,  "The  Rise  and  Fall 
of  the  Confederate  Government." 

He  died  at  New  Orleans  on  Dec.  6,  1889,  aged  eighty- 
one  years.  His  body  was  taken  to  Richmond  and  buried 
in  Hollywood  Cemetery  and  over  it  a  monument  was 
erected,  and  now  it  is  a  shrine  where  thousands  from 
South  and  North  go  each  year,  in  homage  or  pity  for  the 
big,  lone  sad  man  who  excluded  himself  from  citizenship 
in  the  United  States,  who  died  a  man  without  a  country. 

Gen.  James  Harrison  Wilson,  one  of  the  most  bril 
liant  and  able  military  leaders  of  the  North,  who  studied 
Jefferson  Davis  at  close  range  after  his  capture,  said  to 
the  writer  of  this  book  forty-seven  years  after  the  end  of 
the  Civil  War : 

•"Davis  was  the  greatest  man  of  the  Confederacy.  He 
got  out  of  it  all  that  was  possible.  He  ran  the  machine 
to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  when  it  broke  down  it  was 
like  the  'One  Hoss  Shay.'  Perhaps,  if  Davis  had  been  in 
Lincoln's  place,  the  story  of  the  war  would  have  been 
different.  The  people  of  the  North  wanted  victories  right 
at  the  beginning,  and  I  think  Davis  could  have  given  them 
victories,  for  he  knew  the  men  and  he  knew  military 
science.  There  was  no  man  in  America  with  wider  and 
more  thorough  military  knowledge." 

117 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

June  3  (1898) — U.  S.  S.  Merrlmac,  a  collier,  was 
sunk  in  the  channel  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  of  San 
tiago,  Cuba  (Spanish  War)  by  Lieut.  Richmond  Pearson 
Hobson  and  eight  volunteer  companions  from  the  Ameri 
can  fleet,  to  block  the  passage  and  prevent  the  Spanish 
squadron  from  escaping,  year  1898.  (See  Naval  Battle  of 
Santiago,  July  3,  1898.) 

June  4  (1863) — General  Lee's  Army  (Confederate, 
75,000  men)  left  the  encampment  south  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock  River  near  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  and  began  its 
march  of  invasion  of  the  North,  year  1863.  A  month 
later,  at  Gettysburg,  the  invasion  was  stopped  and 
thrown  back.  (See  Battle  of  Gettysburg,  July  1.) 

June  4  (1915)— The  Directors  of  the  Ford  Motor 
Company  on  this  date,  year  1915,  increased  the  capital 
stock  from  $2,000,000  to  $100,000,000.  The  date  marks 
the  public  recognition  of  Henry  Ford,  inventor,  as  one  of 
the  foremost  captains  of  industry  of  the  world.  The 
Ford  Motor  Company  was  organized  on  June  16,  1903. 

June  5  (1851)— Firsc  chapter  of  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin" 
appeared  in  the  National  Era,  a  weekly  anti-slavery  paper 
published  at  Washington,  D.  C,  edited  by  Dr.  Gamaliel 
Bailey,  assisted  by  John  G.  Whittier,  year  1851.  The 
serial  continued  in  this  publication  and  ended  in  the  issue 
of  April  1,  1852.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe,  the  author,  re 
ceived  $300  for  the  serial.  On  March  30,  1852,  it  was 
issued  in  book  form.  Not  less  than  3,000,000  copies  have 
been  sold.  It  has  been  translated  into  nineteen  languages. 

June  5  (1917) — First  registration  day  for  all  males  in 
the  country  between  the  ages  of  21  and  30  years  inclusive, 
year  1917.  The  registration  produced  a  list  of  nearly 
10,000,000  men  who  constituted  the  class  from  which  the 
first  draft  of  £78,000  under  the  conscription  act  of  May  18, 
1917,  was  taken. 

June  6  (1865) — The  French  government  rescinded  its 
recognition  of  the  Confederacy  as  belligerents,  year  1865. 
The  British  had  rescinded  four  days  prior  to  this.  Almost 

118 


JUNE 

at  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War,  France  and  England 
recognized  the  Confederates  as  belligerents  and,  influ 
enced  by  Louis  Napoleon,  Emperor  of  the  French,  were 
on  the  point  of  recognizing  their  independence.  They  re 
frained  from  the  latter  act,  chiefly  because  of  the  grim 
warnings  of  President  Lincoln. 

June  6  (1866) — President  Johnson  issued  a  proclama 
tion  forbidding  the  Fenian  Brotherhood,  a  secret  revolu 
tionary  society  aiming  to  free  Ireland  from  British  rule, 
to  organize  and  arm  in  the  territory  of  the  United  States 
with  intent  to  invade  Canada,  year  1866.  A  few  days 
prior  to  this  proclamation,  a  body  of  1,500  Fenians,  in 
cluding  many  ex-Union  soldiers  of  Irish  birth  or  descent, 
had  assembled  at  Niagara  Falls  and  crossed  into  Canada 
near  Fort  Erie,  on  June  1st.  Next  day,  in  a  skirmish  at 
Ridgeway,  Ontario,  with  the  Canadian  militia,  they  were 
defeated  and  driven  across  the  Niagara  River  into  the 
United  States  where  700  of  them  were  arrested  by  the 
United  States  authorities.  In  spite  of  the  President's 
proclamation,  another  body  of  1,000  Fenians  attacked  St. 
Armand,  Quebec,  on  June  9th;  they  were  defeated  and 
dispersed.  Those  who  had  been  made  captives  by  the 
United  States  authorities  were  imprisoned  a  short  term 
and  then  let  go  without  other  punishment.  The  Fenian 
agitation  continued  for  several  years,  though  without 
armed  conflict,  until  1870.  On  May  24th  of  that  year 
President  Grant  issued  a  proclamation  forbidding  them 
to  invade  Canada.  Nevertheless,  two  days  later,  a  body 
of  500  did  raid  from  Fairfield,  Vt,  into  Canada,  but  were 
quickly  driven  back.  That  was  the  last  actual  military 
effort  of  the  Brotherhood  in  the  United  States. 

June  7  (1769) — Daniel  Boone,  with  five  other  hunters 
from  North  Carolina,  reached  Red  River,  Kentucky,  the 
first  white  explorers  of  the  country  named  "The  Dark  and 
Bloody  Ground"  by  the  Indians,  year  1769. 

June  7  (1776) — Resolution  presented  in  the  Second 
Continental  Congress  by  Richard  Henry  Lee  declaring 

119 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

"that  these  united  colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be, 
free  and  independent  states,"  year  1776.  (See  "Indepen 
dence  Day,  July  4.) 

June  8  (1793)— British  "Orders  in  Council"  affecting 
American  commerce,  year  1793.  The  British  government 
ordered  the  commanders  of  British  ships-of-war  to  stop 
all  vessels  from  neutral  countries  carrying  supplies  to 
France,  and  to  compel  such  ships  to  enter  British  ports. 
Great  Britain  was  then  at  war  with  France.  This  act 
caused  intense  indignation  in  America.  By  a  curious  turn 
of  affairs,  the  French,  in  reprisal,  later  ordered  their  war 
ships  to  stop  neutral  vessels  bound  to  the  British  Isles 
with  supplies,  and  offended  the  United  States  more  than 
Great  Britain  had  done.  Because  of  these  acts  by  Eng 
land  and  France,  American  commerce  was  deeply  injured 
during  the  succeeding  seven  years,  and  the  United  States 
was  brought  to  the  verge  of  war  with  France.  (See  John 
Adams,  Oct.  30  and  May  9,  and  Charles  C.  Pinckney, 
Feb.  23.) 

June  8  (1845) — Andrew  Jackson,  seventh  President 
of  the  United  States,  died  at  his  home,  the  "Hermitage," 
near  Nashville,  Tenn.,  year  1845.  (See  Birthday  of  An 
drew  Jackson,  March  15.) 

June  9  (1791) — John  Howard  Payne,  dramatist, 
author  of  the  song,  "Home  Sweet  Home,"  born  at  New 
York,  year  1791 ;  died  at  Tunis,  in  Africa,  April  10,  1852. 
While  living  in  London  and  Paris  (1812-1813)  he  wrote 
the  libretto  of  the  melodramatic  opera,  "Clari,  or  the  Maid 
of  Milan,"  in  which  was  the  song  "Home  Sweet  Home." 
The  music  was  written  by  Sir  Henry  Bishop,  an  English 
composer.  In  1841  Payne  was  appointed  American  consul 
at  Tunis.  He  held  the  office  until  his  death.  In  1883  his 
ashes  were  brought  to  America  and  buried  at  Washing 
ton,  D.  C. 

June  10  (1861)— Battle  of  Big  Bethel  (or  Great 
Bethel),  year  1861.  First  engagement  of  the  Civil  War  on 
the  soil  of  Virginia.  A  Union  force  of  3,500  men,  includ- 

120 


JUNE 

ing  the  whole  or  part  of  five  New  York  and  one  Massa 
chusetts  regiments  and  a  detachment  of  U.  S.  artillery, 
was  sent  by  Gen.  B.  F.  Butler  from  Fortress  Monroe  to 
capture  a  Confederate  battery  eight  miles  distant.  The 
force  divided,  marching  by  different  roads.  At  that  time 
there  were  many  varieties  of  soldiers'  uniforms  and  flags, 
each  regiment  being  clothed  as  its  officers  and  tradition 
saw  fit.  So  it  was  that  when  one  part  of  this  force  saw 
another  approaching  upon  another  road,  not  recognizing 
the  uniform  nor  flag,  and  thinking  the  oncomers  were  ene 
mies,  fired,  killing  their  Federal  friends.  The  mistake  was 
soon  discovered,  but  the  whole  force  was  demoralized  by 
the  blunder,  and,  after  a  weak  show  of  attacking  the  Con 
federate  position,  retreated,  with  a  loss  of  18  killed  and  53 
wounded.  The  incident  is  important  in  history,  because 
it  showed  the  immediate  necessity  of  one  uniform  for  all 
Union  soldiers. 

June  10  (1869) — Legislature  of  the  territory  of  Wyo 
ming  passed  an  act  granting  to  women  the  right  to  vote 
and  to  hold  office,  year  1869.  This  act  was  approved 
Dec.  10,  1869.  It  was  the  first  act  in  any  State  or  terri 
tory  giving  women  the  same  rights  of  suffrage  as  men. 
In  1890,  when  Wyoming  was  admitted  as  a  State,  women 
suffrage  was  specifically  provided  in  the  constitution. 

June  11  (1859)—  "Comstock  Lode"  of  silver,  in  Ne 
vada,  discovered  by  Penrod  Comstock  &  Co.,  year  1859. 

June  11  (1891)—  "Whaleback"  Steamship  Charles  W. 
Wetmore  left  Duluth,  Minn.,  with  a  cargo  of  grain  for 
Liverpool,  England.  It  was  the  first  "whaleback"  to  cross 
the  Atlantic;  year  1891. 

June  12  (1775) — First  naval  engagement  of  the 
American  Revolution,  year  1775.  Jeremiah  O'Brien,  com 
manding  the  American  sloop  Amity,  with  a  small  crew 
including  his  brother  John,  attacked  and  captured  the 
British  schooner  Margaretta,  off  Machias,  Maine.  The 
prisoners  were  marched  overland  to  Cambridge,  Mass., 
and  delivered  to  General  Washington.  The  O'Briens  re- 

121 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

ceived  the  formal  thanks  of  the  Massachusetts  provincial 
congress. 

June  13  (1778) — France  declared  war  against  Eng 
land  in  aid  of  the  American  colonies,  year  1778.  (See 
Yorktown,  Oct.  19,  1781.) 

June  14  (1811) — Harriet  Beecher  Stowe,  author, 
born  at  Litchfield,  Conn.,  year  1811;  died  at  Hartford, 
Conn.,  July  1,  1896.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Lyman 
Beecher.  She  was  married  to  Rev.  Calvin  Ellis  Stowe  of 
Hartford.  She  is  known  to  all  the  civilized  world  as  the 
author  of  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin."  It  is  asserted  by 
authorities  that  this  has  been  the  most  widely  read  book 
in  all  Christendom,  excepting  only  the  Bible.  (See 
June  5.) 

June  14  (1834) — Diving  Suit  with  brass  helmet  pat 
ented  by  Leonard  Norcross  (born  at  Redfield,  Me.,  June 
17,  1798),  the  inventor,  year  1834. 

FLAG    DAY— ADOPTION    OF    THE    STARS    AND 
STRIPES  BY  THE  SECOND  CONTI 
NENTAL  CONGRESS 
June  14,  1777 

At  the  beginning  of  the  American  Revolution  when 
Washington  took  command  of  the  American  army  that 
was  besieging  Boston,  shortly  after  the  Battle  of  Bunker 
Hill  (June  17,  1775),  the  united  Colonies  had  no  official 
flag — except  the  English  flag,  a  red  field  with  a  blue  can 
ton  field  crossed  with  the  red  and  white  crosses  of  St. 
George  and  St.  Andrew  (the  "canton"  is  the  top  quarter 
nearest  the  staff,  usually  called  the  "union"  and  collo 
quially  the  "jack")  .  The  Colonies  had  not  yet  formally 
separated  from  England,  and  theoretically  still  recog 
nized  the  English  flag  as  a  symbol  of  their  sovereign.  In 
actual  practice,  without  any  orders  from  Congress,  most 
of  the  various  soldier  divisions  from  the  several  Colonies 
each  carried  a  flag  of  their  own  which  was  different  from 
all  the  others. 

122 


JUNE 

Washington  realized  that  it  was  desirable  to  have 
one  Hag  over  all  the  divisions  of  his  army — an  official 
flag.  But,  for  political  reasons,  he  delayed  the  adoption 
of  an  official  military  American  flag  until  six  months 
after  he  had  taken  command.  Then,  on  Jan.  2,  1776,  he 
raised  over  his  headquarters  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  a  new 
flag  with  thirteen  stripes,  yet  retaining  the  exact  canton 
of  the  English  flag.  This  he  did  without  any  formal  act 
of  Congress.  The  new  flag  at  once  became  the  Flag  of 
the  United  Colonies.  The  English  called  it  "the  Rebel 
lious  Stripes."  Six  months  after  this  Cambridge  Flag 
was  raised,  Congress  adopted  the  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence.  There  was  no  longer  any  political  reason  why 
the  English  "union"  should  be  kept  in  the  American  flag. 
In  fact,  even  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  as 
the  Betsy  Ross  story  tells,  the  "Starry  Flag"  or  "Con 
stellation  Flag"  had  been  contemplated  by  Washington. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution  there  lived  in 
Philadelphia  a  young  widow  named  Elizabeth  Ross,  who 
kept  an  upholstery  shop  in  Arch  street ;  she  had  a  large 
circle  of  friends  in  the  city,  and  the  family  of  her  deceased 
husband,  John  Ross,  was  among  the  socially  prominent. 
She  was  called  "Betsy"  Ross  by  her  friends.  The  legend 
of  the  making  of  the  stars  and  stripes  comes  almost  en 
tirely  from  what  she  related,  by  word  of  mouth,  to  mem 
bers  of  her  own  and  her  husband's  family;  her  descend 
ants  repeated  the  story  with  every  evidence  of  sincerity, 
several  making  affidavits.  According  to  this  story,  a 
committee  consisting  of  Gen.  George  Washington, 
Robert  Morris  and  Colonel  Ross — the  last  named  being 
an  uncle  of  Mrs.  Ross's  deceased  husband,  visited  her 
shop  in  June,  1776,  and  asked  if  she  could  make  a  flag. 
She  said  she  could,  and  thereupon  they  showed  her  a 
rough  design  of  an  ensign  like  the  Cambridge  flag,  ex 
cept  that  the  canton  had  thirteen  stars  instead  of  the 
crosses  of  St.  George  and  St.  Andrew.  The  stars  were 
six-pointed  and  were  scattered  rather  irregularly  over  the 
blue  field. 

123 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Mrs.  Ross,  so  it  is  told,  suggested  that  the  stars 
should  be  five  pointed,  as  they  would  look  better  than  the 
six-pointed.  General  Washington  agreed,  but  said  that 
he  thought  five-pointed  stars  were  harder  to  make ;  where 
upon  Mrs.  Ross  took  her  scissors  and  a  piece  of  cloth  and 
cut  a  five-pointed  star  with  one  single  clip  of  the  scissors, 
doing  it  so  easily  and  prettily  that  he  was  instantly  con 
vinced,  and  then  and  there  changed  the  design  of  the  stars 
to  the  five-pointed  model. 

She  also  suggested  that  the  stars  would  look  better 
if  arranged  in  a  circle,  and  this  suggestion  was  also 
adopted.  The  committee  then  went  away,  leaving  the 
corrected  design  with  Mrs.  Ross,  and  she  shortly  after 
ward  completed  a  sample  flag  which  was  sent  to  General 
Washington — probably  at  his  headquarters  in  New  York 
before  the  coming  of  the  British  fleet  and  army  which 
captured  the  city. 

Washington  and  the  other  members  of  the  committee 
approved  this  flag,  and  recommended  to  Congress  that  it 
be  adopted.  But  Congress  did  not  adopt  it  until  nearly 
a  year  after  Mrs.  Ross  had  sewed  her  sample  flag. 

It  has  been  objected  by  writers  who  do  not  believe 
the  Betsy  Ross  story,  that  it  is  unsupported  by  evidence 
outside  the  Ross  family  and  that  it  is  improbable  that 
Congress  would  wait  a  whole  year  to  adopt  a  flag  which 
was  so  strongly  recommended  by  twro  such  powerful  men 
as  General  Washington  and  Robert  Morris.  However, 
the  story  has  never  been  disproved,  and  it  has  been  gen 
erally  accepted  throughout  the  nation.  Doubtless,  the 
romantic  strain  in  our  people  seeks  for  such  stories,  of 
which  kind  there  are  too  few  in  our  authentic  histories, 
and  so  the  masses  of  our  people  will  hold  faith  in  Betsy 
Ross  as  the  woman  who  pieced  and  sewed  our  first 
national  flag. 

On  June  14,  1777,  John  Adams,  in  pursuance  of  the 
report  of  a  committee,  introduced  in  the  Continental  Con 
gress  at  Philadelphia  the  following  resolution  which  was 
passed  unanimously: 

124 


JUNE  \ 

"Resolved,  That  the  flag  of  the  thirteen  United 
States  shall  be  thirteen  stripes,  alternate  red  and 
white ;  that  the  union  be  thirteen  stars,  white  on  a 
blue  field,  representing  a  new  constellation." 
Even  after  this  there  was  delay  in  promulgating  the 
action  of   Congress.     The   public   announcement   to   the 
nation  was  made  on  September  3,  1777. 

Throughout  the  month  of  June,  1777,  Washington's 
Army  Headquarters  were  at  Middlebrook  Heights,  near 
Bound  Brook,  New  Jersey.  To  this  place  came  a  courier 
riding  swiftly  from  Philadelphia  on  the  evening  of  June  14, 
with  news  of  the  action  of  Congress,  and  next  morning, 
according  to  all  evidence  scrupulously  weighed  in  late 
years  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  the  new  national  flag 
was  raised  before  the  commander-in-chief  over  his  head 
quarters  and  formally  designated  the  new  flag  of  the 
Republic.  This  historic  spot  on  Middlebrook  Heights  is 
now  a  shrine  of  the  American  people. 

In  1791  Vermont  was  admitted  as  a  State,  and  the 
next  year  Kentucky  was  admitted,  thus  making'  fifteen 
States  in  the  Union.  On  May  1,  1795,  Congress,  with 
short-sighted  judgment,  enacted  a  law  providing  that  the 
flag  "be  fifteen  stripes."  This  was  the  national  ensign 
for  twenty-three  years;  it  was  this  flag  that  waved  over 
Ft.  McHenry  when  Francis  Scott  Key  wrote  "The  Star- 
Spangled  Banner." 

Finally,  on  March  4,  1818,  Congress  enacted  the  law 
which  fixes  the  form  of  the  flag  for  all  time.  The  act  is 
as  follows : 

An  Act  to  Establish  the  Flag  of  the  United 
States. 

"Sec.  1.  Be  it  enacted,"  etc.,  "that  from  and 
after  the  fourth  day  of  July  next,  the  flag  of  the 
United  States  be  thirteen  horizontal  stripes,  alter 
nate  red  and  white;  that  the  Union  have  twenty 
stars,  white  in  a  blue  field. 

"Sec.  2.     Be  it  further  enacted,  That  on  the 
125 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

admission  of  every  new  State  into  the  Union,  one 
Star  be  added  to  the  Union  of  the  flag;  and  that 
such  addition  shall  take  effect  on  the  fourth  of  July 
next  succeeding-  such  admission. 

(The  Act  was  approved  by  President  Monroe  on 
April  4,  1818.) 

With  the  admission  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico  as 
States  in  1912  and  the  addition  of  two  stars,  the  flag 
showed  forty-eight  stars  representing  forty-eight  States, 
including  all  the  contiguous  continental  territory  of  the 
United  States. 

June  15  (1752) — Benjamin  Franklin  demonstrated 
the  identity  of  electricity  and  "lightning"  by  the  use  of  a 
boy's  kite,  year  1752.  The  kite  was  made  of  a  large  silk 
handkerchief,  the  perpendicular  ''stick"  being  a  piece  of 
iron  wire.  The  string  was  of  hemp,  except  .at  the  hand 
end,  which  was  silk.  An  iron  key  was  fastened  to  the 
hemp  above  the  silk.  The  place  selected  for  the  experi 
ment  was  the  corner  of  Race  and  Eighth  Streets,  Phila 
delphia.  The  day  was  sultry.  Storm  clouds  gathered 
and  the  kite  was  sent  up.  A  thunder  cloud  enveloped  the 
kite.  The  hempen  string  stiffened  and  bristled.  Franklin 
touched  the  key  with  his  knuckles  and  a  spark  flashed. 
Again  and  again  he  drew  the  spark,  and  thus  the  discov 
ery  was  made. 

June  15  (1836) — Arkansas  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1836. 

June  15  (1844) — First  patent  to  Charles  Goodyear  for 
a  process  for  making  rubber  fabrics,  year  1844. 

June  15  (1846) — Oregon  Boundary  treaty  signed  at 
Washington  by  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  es 
tablishing  the  boundary  line  between  the  British  North 
American  possessions  and  the  North  Western  territories 
of  the  U.  S.  at  49°  parallel  of  latitude ;  year  1846.  For 
many  years  the  boundary  question  had  been  in  dispute, 
the  Americans  claiming  the  territory  as  far  north  as  54° 
40',  while  the  British  claimed  the  whole  of  Oregon.  The 

126 


JUNE 

entire  nation  was  aroused  over  the  question  in  1844  and 
President  Polk  was  elected,  chiefly  because  he  proposed 
to  forcibly  assert  American  rights  to  the  territory  claimed. 
The  hot  heads,  supporting  Polk,  originated  the  slogan, 
"Fifty-Four  Forty  or  Fight !"  In  the  spring  of  1846,  the 
two  nations  were  on^the  verge  of  war,  when  the  matter 
was  settled  by  the  treaty,  which  was  a  compromise. 

June  15  (1917) — First  Liberty  Loan  flotation  of 
$2,000,000,000  in  bonds  at  3l/2%  closed.  More  than 
4,000,000  persons  subscribed  a  total  of  $3,035,226,850. 
The  time  period  for  subscriptions  began  on  May  2,  1917 
and  lasted  six  weeks. 

June  16  (1864) — General  assault  by  the  Union  army 
under  General  Grant  against  the  Confederate  army  under 
General  Lee  intrenched  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  year  1864. 
This  active  offensive  lasted  two  days  and  failed.  The 
Union  loss  was  about  10,000.  Then  Grant  began  a  regular 
siege  with  constant  attacks  on  the  Confederate  line  of 
trenches  which  extended  along  a  front  of  40  miles.  In 
two  months,  the  Union  army  lost  70,000  men  killed, 
wounded  and  prisoners,  yet  failed  to  drive  Lee  from  his 
position.  The  Confederate  loss  was  about  40,000,  includ 
ing  15,000  prisoners.  Active  attacks  against  Petersburg 
ceased  in  November,  1864,  and  during  the  following  win 
ter  both  armies  lay  quietly  facing  each  other  while  great 
campaigns  were  waged  in  Georgia,  Tennessee  and  the 
Carolinas.  In  March,  1865,  Grant  began  the  last  great 
offensive  against  Lee  which  resulted  in  the  surrender  at 
Appomattox  Court  House,  April  9,  1865.  The  siege  of 
Petersburg  marked  an  epoch  in  military  science.  It  was 
the  first  great  illustration  of  defense  by  an  entire  large 
army  in  trenches,  and  furnished  the  basis  of  modern  mili 
tary  strategy  in  Europe. 

BATTLE  OF  BUNKER  HILL 

June  17,  1775 

Beginning  with  the  battle  of   Lexington,   on  April 
19th,  the  militant  commencement  of  the  Revolutionary 

127 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

War,  the  Americans  of  New  England  mobilized  and  with 
in  a  month  there  were  gathered  16,000  men  about  Boston 
on  the  landward  sides.  The  gathering  was  nominally  an 
"army,"  though  the  British  called  it  a  "mob."  In  truth 
it  had  little  discipline,  no  military  chest,  no  hospitals,  and 
not  even  the  simplest  routine  practices ;  there  was  no  roll 
call.  It  did  not  have  a  regular  commander-in-chief.  Gen. 
Artemus  Ward,  who  commanded  the  Massachusetts  con 
tingent,  was,  by  informal  consent,  allowed  to  suggest 
things  somewhat  as  a  commander. 

The  British  under  General  Gage,  who  had  been  re 
inforced  by  fresh  troops  from  England  under  General 
Howe,  and  by  other  troops  from  Canada  numbered  a 
total  of  10,000  in  Boston.  Twenty-five  British  war  vessels 
lay  in  the  seaward  harbor  and  the  Charles  River. 

The  town  wras  strongly  fortified.  But  across  the 
Charles  River,  on  the  north  side,  was  the  Charlestown 
Peninsula,  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  long  and  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  rising  from  the  water  edge  and 
culminating  in  two  hills  with  a  plateau  between  them. 
The  summit  of  the  westerly  hill  called  Bunker  Hill,  the 
nearer  one  to  the  American  army,  was  110  feet  above  sea 
level.  The  other  hill  called  "the  Heights"  at  the  time  and 
later  "Breed's  Hill"  was  62  feet  high.  The  newly  arrived 
officers  from  England  quickly  saw  that  if  the  Americans 
occupied  and  fortified  these  hills,  they  would  be  able,  with 
artillery,  to  drive  the  British  out  of  Boston,  compel  them 
to  take  the  ships.  Gage  prepared  to  occupy  the  hills. 

But  the  Americans  got  news  of  the  intended  move 
ment  and  planned  to  forestall  the  British.  In  the  dark 
ness  of  early  night  of  Friday,  June  16th,  a  picked  body 
of  1,200  Americans  under  Col.  William  Prescott,  with 
picks  and  spades  muskets  and  a  small  supply  of  powder, 
silently  left  the  main  body  at  Cambridge,  crossed  the 
Neck  of  the  peninsula  and  marched  to  Bunker  Hill.  Pres 
cott  had  been  ordered  to  fortify  only  this  hill,  which  was 
near  the  Neck  and  from  which  he  could  retreat  easily. 

128 


JUNE 

But  he  saw,  with  sure  military  judgment,  that  he  could 
not  hold  Bunker  Hill  unless  he  went  farther  and  fortified 
Breed's  Hill,  so  he  took  the  greater  hazard,  a  desperate 
enterprise,  and  at  midnight  began  throwing  up  an  earth 
work  intrenchment,  a  redoubt,  on  Breed's  Hill.  Silently 
his  men  worked  until  dawn,  undiscovered  by  the  near 
British  upon  the  war  ships  in  the  river,  until  the  morning 
light  showed*  the  astonished  British  that  the  Americans 
were  there  above  them  less  than  half  a  mile  away  and 
fortified. 

Immediately  the  warships  opened  a  bombardment. 
Yet  the  Americans  continued  under  this  fire  for  hours, 
strengthening  their  works.  Fresh  American  troops  under 
General  Putnam  came  in  the  morning  and  took  position 
upon  Bunker  Hill  behind  a  rail  fence  backed  with  stones, 
to  the  left  and  backward  of  the  Breed's  Hill  fortification. 
Of  artillery,  Prescott  had  but  two  small  field  pieces. 

The  British  commander  in  Boston  saw  that  he  had 
been  outmanoeuvred.  If  he  waited  and  allowed  the 
Americans  to  mount  siege  guns,  he  might  be  driven  out 
of  Boston.  He  held  a  council  of  war.  The  surest  way 
to  beat  Prescott  was  to  send  warships  to  all  sides  of  the 
Peninsula  and  thus  cut  the  Americans  off  from  the  Neck. 
But  that  would  take  time,  and  if  Prescott  could  get  heavy 
guns  planted  he  might  inflict  terrible  damage  on  the 
British  position  before  he  could  be  captured.  It  was  re 
solved  to  go  straight  across  the  river  and  assault  the 
Americans  at  once. 

At  noon  4,000  British  infantry  crossed  in  barges  and 
landed  at  the  extreme  northeastern  point  of  the  Penin 
sula,  beyond  the  range  of  the  American  muskets.  Two 
hours  were  spent  in  preparing  artillery.  At  3  o'clock, 
they  moved  in  two  parties,  the  one  under  General  Pigot 
against  the  redoubt  upon  Breed's  Hill,  and  the  other  un 
der  General  Howe  against  the  rail  fence  upon  Bunker 
Hill. 

Prescott  had  commanded  his  men  to  save  their  pow 
der.  The  Americans  were  ordered  to  "aim  at  the  hand- 

129 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

some  coats  and  pick  off  the  commanders"  and  the  sub 
ordinate  officers  were  ordered  to  wait  until  they  could  see 
"the  whites  of  their  eyes"  before  giving  the  order  to  fire. 

The  British  came  on  steadily  to  the  forty-five  yard 
line,  when  Prescott  gave  the  order  "Fire."  The  redoubt 
blazed.  The  whole  front  rank  of  Pigot's  brigade  fell. 
Substitutes  from  rear  rank  stepped  forward.  Another 
blaze  from  American  muskets  and  British  dead  heaped 
the  ground.  Pigot  ordered  a  retreat. 

Howe's  brigade  met  the  same  fate  at  the  rail  fence 
and  he  was  compelled  to  retreat. 

*  Now  there  was  a  pause  in  the  battle.  Had  the  Ameri 
cans  been  reinforced  at  this  time,  the  victory  would  have 
been  assured.  But  no  help  came. 

The  British  officers  rallied  their  battalions  at  the 
foot  of  the  heights.  The  town  of  Charlestown,  having 
200  houses,  was  set  on  fire  with  the  purpose  of  blinding 
the  Americans  with  smoke.  Coincidentally,  the  wind 
changed  and  blew  the  smoke  away  from  them. 

A  second  time  the  British  swept  up  the  two  hills 
and  again  the  Americans  waited  for  "the  whites  of  their 
eyes/'  and  again  that  deadly  fire  made  a  butchery  of 
British  and  Hessians.  The  Hessians  piled  their  dead  to 
make  protection  and  from  these  ghastly  breastworks 
poured  their  fire  against  the  Americans.  But  panic  seized 
them,  and  a  second  time  they  retreated  down  the  heights. 
Then  came  another  pause.  And  still  no  reinforcements 
for  Prescott's  men. 

The  British  held  a  council  of  war.  Most  of  the  offi 
cers  declared  it  was  useless  to  renew  the  attack.  But 
General  Howe  knew  the  disastrous  effect  of  admitting 
defeat,  and  reminded  the  others  that  unless  the  Ameri 
cans  were  driven  from  Charlestown  Heights,  the  British 
army  would  be  forced  to  give  up  Boston.  So  it  was  de 
cided  to  make  a  third  attempt. 

Little  did  the  British  generals  know  how  weak  had 
grown  the  American  force.  The  little  band  in  the  re- 

130 


JUNE 

doubt  had  been  reduced  to  200  active  men,  and  they  ex 
hausted  by  ceaseless  work  for  nearly  24  hours  with  little 
to  eat  or  drink  under  a  hot  sun,  and  their  powder  almost 
gone.  Yet  Prescott  accepted  the  challenge  a  third  time. 

Now  the  British  discovered  what  they  should  have 
seen  before — that  there  was  a  gap  of  700  feet  between 
the  north  end  of  the  redoubt  and  the  south  end  of  the 
rail  fence.  At  this  point  they  planned  to  break  through. 
Reinforcements  came  to  them.  Up  the  hills  they  charged 
a  third  time.  The  American  volleys  staggered  them,  but 
bravely  they  went  on,  with  fixed  bayonets.  All  gone  was 
the  American  powder.  At  the  ridge  of  the  redoubt  a 
deadly  hand  to  hand  conflict  lasted  a  few  minutes.  Pres 
cott  saw  the  hopelessness  of  further  struggle  and  ordered 
retreat.  The  British  allowed  the  Americans,  from  re 
doubt  and  rail  fence,  to  go  unpursued  for  they,  too,  were 
exhausted.  So  the  Americans  retired  with  little  further 
loss  to  Cambridge. 

The  British  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was  1,054, 
about  a  fourth  of  their  whole  force  engaged.  The  Ameri 
cans  lost  449,  a  fourth  of  their  number. 

Few  bloodier  battles  than  this,  considering  the  num 
bers  engaged,  have  been  fought  in  all  the  world's  history, 
nor  was  American  and  British  bravery  ever  more  con 
vincingly  proved. 

Technically,  the  result  of  the  battle  was  a  British 
military  victory.  The  Americans  gained  in  morale  and 
prestige  the  effects  of  a  victory. 

June  18  (1798)— First  of  the  four  "Alien  and  Sedi 
tion  Acts"  of  Congress  passed  regulating  naturalization 
of  aliens,  year  1798.  The  second  Act  was  passed  seven 
days  later;  it  empowered  the  President  to  order  out  of 
the  country  dangerous  aliens  or  imprison  them.  A  week 
later  the  third  Act  was  passed  which  empowered  the 
President,  in  case  of  war,  to  remove  or  detain  all  male 
subjects  of  the  hostile  nation  resident  in  the  United 
States.  The  fourth  Act  was  called  the  "Sedition  Act," 

131 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

passed  on  July  14,  1798;  it  provided  for  the  punishment 
of  all  persons  conspiring  against  any  measure  of  govern 
ment,  impeding  the  operation  of  any  U.  S.  law,  or  utter 
ing  any  malicious  statement  against  U.  S.  officials.  At 
the  time  of  the  passage  of  these  Acts,  war  with  France 
was  imminent.  They  were  drawn  narrowly  arid  auto 
cratically.  After  the  crisis  passed,  a  reaction  set  in  which 
caused  the  repeal  of  the  Acts  and  brought  about  the 
downfall  of  the  Federalist  Party  which  had  passed  them. 
Nevertheless  the  principles  embodied  in  these  Acts  are 
firmly  fixed  in  our  governmental  system,  and  have  been 
set  forth  more  liberally  in  later  Acts.  Especially  is  this 
true  of  the  Alien  Enemies  Act  of  July  6,  1798,  which  is 
now  substantially  the  law  of  the  land. 

June  18  (1812) — War  declared  against  England,  year 
1812. 

June  18  (1916)— President  Wilson  called  out  100,000 
militia  for  service  in  an  expected  war  with  Mexico.  This 
number  constituted  practically  the  entire  militia  of  all  the 
United  States. 

June  19  (1863) — West  Virginia  was  admitted  into 
the  Union,  year  1863. 

.  June  19  (1864)— Naval  battle  between  the  U.  S.  S. 
Kearsarge  and  the  C.  S.  S.  Alabama,  year  1864.  The 
Alabama  was  a  small  fast  cruiser  (1,016  tons)  fitted  out 
at  Liverpool,  England,  in  1862,  by  agents  of  the  Confed 
erate  States,  for  service  against  the  commerce  of  the 
United  States.  She  roamed  the  seas  during  two  years  of 
the  Civil  War,  under  command  of  Capt.  Raphael  Semmes, 
capturing  and  destroying  many  merchant  ships  and  mil 
lions  of  dollars  value  of  cargoes.  Finally,  while  she  lay 
in  the  harbor  of  Cherbourg,  France,  the  U.  S.  S.  Kearsarge 
(1,031  tons)  which  had  been  pursuing  her  for  more 
than  a  year,  arrived  outside  the  harbor,  and  Capt.  John 
A.  Winslow  waited  outside  the  three  mile  limit,  watching 
day  and  night  from  June  14  to  June  19,  when  at  last  the 
Confederate  ship,  on  a  beautiful  Sunday  morning,  came 

132 


JUNE 

out  and  accepted  the  challenge  to  battle.  The  two  ships 
were  nearly  perfectly  matched.  The  Kearsarge  had  7 
guns  and  a  crew  of  163  men;  the  Alabama  had  8  guns 
and  a  crew  of  149  men ;  the  Kearsarge  had  a  slight  advan 
tage  in  weight  of  projectiles.  The  battle  was  fought 
about  seven  miles  from  shore.  It  lasted  about  two  hours, 
when  the  Alabama  sank,  without  surrendering.  Captain 
Semmes  and  forty-one  of  his  crew  were  picked  up  out  of 
the  sea  by  an  English  yacht  —  the  Deerhound  —  which 
made  off  and  landed  them  in  England.  (See  Alabama 
Claims,  April  7.) 

June  19  (1867) — Maximilian  of  Austria,  emperor  of 
Mexico,  who  had  been  placed  upon  the  throne  by  a 
French  and  Austrian  army,  was  executed  by  shooting,  at 
Queretaro,  Mexico,  year  1867.  He  was  the  last  monarch 
in  the  Western  continent. 

June  20  (1542) — Fernando  de  Soto,  Spanish  noble 
man,  discoverer  of  the  Mississippi  river,  died  of  fever  on 
the  bank  of  the  river  in  Arkansas,  year  1542.  His  com 
panions,  a  small  band,  wrapped  the  body  in  his  mantle, 
encased  it  in  a  tree  trunk,  and  committed  it  to  the  waters 
of  the  great  river. 

June  21  (1788) — Constitution  of  the  United  States 
ratified  by  the  State  of  New  Hampshire,  the  ninth  State, 
thus  putting  it  in  force  throughout  the  Nation.  (See 
Dec.  7.) 

June  21  (1834)— First  patent  to  Cyrus  H.  McCor- 
mick  for  an  agricultural  machine  called  a  "reaper"  to  per 
form  the  work  hitherto  done  by  men  for  thousands  of 
yetirs  with  a  scythe  and  "cradle,"  year  1834.  The  first 
experiments  were  made  on  the  McCormick  home  farm  at 
Walnut  Grove,  Rockbridge  County,  Va. 

June  21  (1912) — National  Republican  Convention,  at 
Chicago,  re-nominated  William  H.  Taft  for  President, 
after  a  bitter  contest  with  the  followers  of  ex-President 
Roosevelt,  who  was  supported  for  the  nomination  by  a 
majority  of  the  delegates  from  the  so-called  Republican 

133 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

States.  The  deciding  votes  for  Taft  were  cast  by  the 
delegates  from  Southern  States  which  had  been  over 
whelmingly  Democratic  during  the  whole  life  time  of  the 
Republican  party.  The  apparently  excessive  power  of 
Southern  delegates  in  Republican  national  conventions 
had  been  a  troublous  factor  in  that  party  since  "recon 
struction"  after  the  Civil  War.  The  rule  for  apportion 
ment  of  delegates  among  the  States  of  the.  Union  was 
based  on  the  provision  of  the  Constitution  which  appor 
tions  members  of  Congress  according  to  population.  Of 
course,  the  negroes  were  counted  in  the  census,  but,  in 
the  South,  the  negroes,  for  peculiar  reasons,  cast  only  a 
very  small  number  of  the  votes  they  were  entitled  to 
under  the  Constitution.  So  it  was  that  the  Southern 
States  had  a  much  larger  representation  in  Congress  and 
in  the  National  Republican  convention,  upon  the  basis  of 
votes  cast  at  general  elections,  than  any  other  section  of 
the  country.  The  nomination  of  Mr.  Taft  by  this  element 
of  Southern  delegates  resulted  in  a  split  in  the  Repub 
lican  party.  Immedia:ely  after  the  convention,  the  Na 
tional  Progressive  Party  sprung  up  and  a  majority  of  the 
Republicans  joined  it.  It  nominated  Colonel  Roosevelt 
for  President.  In  the  election  that  followed  the  Progres 
sives  carried  California,  Pennsylvania,  Michigan,  Minne 
sota,  South  Dakota  and  Washington.  The  Republicans 
carried  only  twro  States,  Utah  and  Vermont.  The  Demo 
crats  carried  all  the  others.  (See  Aug.  5  and  Oct.  27.) 

June  22  (1807)— British  war  ship  Leopard  (50  guns), 
carrying  out  orders  from  the  British  government  to 
search  American  ships  suspected  of  having  on  board  de 
serters  from  the  British  navy,  stopped  the  U.  S.  S. 
Chesapeake  (36  gun  frigate)  forty  miles  east  of  the  Capes 
of  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  demanded  to  search  the  Chesa 
peake  for  three  alleged  known  deserters,  year  1807.  Cap 
tain  Barron  of  the  Chesapeake  refused  to  allow  the 
search  and  continued  to  sail  on.  Whereupon  the  British 
ship  fired  a  shot  across  the  Chesapeake's  bows,  as  a 

134 


JUNE 

summons  to  heave  to.  The  American  captain  continued 
on  his  course,  ignoring  the  shot.  Then  the  Leopard 
delivered  several  broadsides,  damaging  the  Chesapeake's 
hull  and  rigging.  The  Chesapeake  fired  only  one  shot  in 
defense,  and  then  surrendered.  The  British  boarded  her, 
took  off  the  three  suspected  deserters,  and  sailed  away. 
The  Chesapeake  returned  to  Hampton  Roads.  Captain 
Barren  was  court-martialed  for  neglect  of  duty  in  failing 
to  "clear  his  ship  for  action."  He  was  found  guilty  and 
suspended  from  the  service  for  five  years.  This  naval 
incident  was  one  of  the  direct  causes  of  the  War  of  1812. 

June  22  (1884)-— Lieut.  Adolphus  W.  Greeley  and 
six  companions,  survivors  of  the  Greeley  Arctic  Expedi 
tion  which  had  sailed  in  1881  and  was  lost,  were  found 
by  a  search  party  from  the  squadron  of  relief  ships  com 
posed  of  the  Bear,  Thetis  and  Alert  that  had  been  sent 
by  the  U.  S.  Government  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
Winfield  S.  Schley,  year  1884.  The  Greeley  party  had 
numbered  twenty-five  men.  All  but  the  survivors  had 
died  of  exposure  and  starvation.  They  were  found  near 
Cape  Sabine,  across  the  water  westward  from  northern 
Greenland.  It  was  reported  that  no  one  of  the  party 
would  have  been  found  alive,  had  the  relief  been  delayed 
forty-eight  hours. 

June  22  (1898) — American  army  of  16,000  men  un 
der  Gen.  William  R.  Shafter,  which  had  left  Key  West 
in  a  fleet  of  transports  on  June  14,  disembarked  on  the 
soil  of  Cuba  at  Daiquiri,  near  Santiago  de  Cuba,  year 
1898,  in  the  Spanish  War. 

June  23  (1683) — William  Penn  signed  his  famous 
treaty  of  peace  and  friendship  with  the  Indians,  at  a  spot 
beside  the  Delaware  river,  now  within  the  boundaries  of 
Philadelphia,  year  1683. 

June  23  (1868) — First  successful  typewriter  in  the 
world  patented  by  three  associates  of  Milwaukee,  Wis., 
C.  Latham  Sholes,  printer  and  editor;  Samuel  W.  Soule, 
a  printer;  and  Carlos  Glidden,  a  capitalist,  year  1868. 

135 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Later,  Sholes  and  James  Densmore  of  Meadville,  Pa., 
continued  the  development  of  this  machine,  which,  in 
time,  became  the  Remington  Typewriter.  Densmore 
made  a  contract  with  E.  Remington  &  Sons,  gun  manu 
facturers  of  Ilion,  N.  Y.,  in  1873  and  thereafter  the  ma 
chine  was  called  by  the  name  of  the  manufacturers. 

June  24  (1497) — John  Cabot  and  his  son  Sebastian, 
Venetian  navigators  in  the  service  of  England,  discovered 
the  North  American  continent  at  a  point  in  Labrador,  on 
St.  John's  Day,  year  1497. 

June  25  (1876)— Custer  Massacre  (Battle  of  Big 
Horn,  Mont.),  year  1876.  Gen.  George  A.  Custer,  in  com 
mand  of  the  U.  S.  forces  in  the  Sioux  Indian  war  of  1874- 
1877,  with  277  cavalrymen,  attacked  the  confederated 
Indian  encampment  on  the  Little  Big  Horn  River,  com 
manded  by  the  Indian  chief  Sitting  Bull.  Through  a 
fatal  mistake,  he  was  not  supported  by  the  other  divisions 
of  his  force ;  his  troop  was  surrounded  by  an  overwhelm 
ing  force  of  Indians,  and,  after  three  hours'  battle,  every 
man  of  the  278  was  slain.  In  1879  the  battle  ground  was 
made  a  national  cemetery. 

June  26  (1862)— Battle  of  Mechanicsville,  Va.  The 
first  of  the  seven  days'  battles  near  Richmond  in  the 
Peninsula  Campaign  of  1862  which  was  planned  by  the 
Federal  leaders  to  capture  the  Confederate  capital,  Rich 
mond.  The  Peninsula  Campaign  was  so  named  because 
the  military  operations  took  place  on  the  peninsula 
formed  by  the  York  and  the  James  rivers  in  Virginia, 
both  emptying  into  Chesapeake  Bay.  It  began  on  April  1, 
1862,  when  the  advance  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
(58,000  men  under  Gen.  George  B.  McClellan)  besieged 
15,000  Confederates  in  Yorktown.  The  Confederates 
evacuated  Yorktown  next  day  and  retired  toward  Rich 
mond.  The  Federal  army  advanced  during  the  next 
seven  weeks,  to  the  very  gates  of  Richmond  (to  within 
five  miles  of  the  Confederate  intrenchments).  The  prin- 

136 


JUNE 

cipal  battles  fought  in  the  course  of  this  advance  were  at 
Williamsburg  on  May  5,  and  Fair  Oaks  on  May  31- 
June  1.  In  the  meantime,  McClellan  had  received  re 
inforcements  increasing  his  army  to  115,000  men,  while 
the  Confederate  army  under  Lee,  defending  Richmond, 
numbered  80,000.  The  climax  of  the  campaign  was 
reached  on  June  25  when  "Stonewall"  Jackson  completed 
a  splendid  strategic  movement  with  his  corps  of  25,000 
men  and  joined  Lee,  increasing  the  Confederate  army  to 
105,000,  while  an  army  of  40,000  Union  men  under  Gen. 
McDowell  was  kept  from  joining  McClellan.  At  once 
McClellan  began  the  retreat  and  Lee  flung  his  whole 
united  force  at  the  Union  army.  In  the  seven  days,  be 
ginning  June  26  and  ending  July  1,  seven  separate  battles 
were  fought,  in  each  of  which  the  larger  part  of  both 
armies  was  engaged.  These  battles  are  named  in  history 
as  follows:  Mechanicsville,  June  26;  Gaines  Mill,  June 
27;  Savage's  Station,  June  29;  Glendale  (or  Frayser's 
Farm),  June  30;  White  Oak  Swamp,  June  30;  Malvern 
Hill,  July  1.  From  Mechanicsville  to  Malvern  Hill  the 
Union  army  retreated  a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  and  all 
these  battles  except  the  last  and  possibly  the  first  were, 
in  effect,  Confederate  victories.  At  Malvern  Hill,  Mc 
Clellan  turned  at  bay  and  in  a  battle  that  lasted  until 
9  o'clock  at  night,  stopped  the  Confederate  pursuit  and 
remained  master  of  the  field ;  thus  Malvern  Hill  is 
claimed  by  Federal  historians  as  a  Union  victory,  al 
though  next  day,  McClellan  retreated  seven  miles  farther, 
to  Harrison's  Landing,  without  pursuit.  On  June  8,  Lee 
with  his  army  went  back  to  Richmond,  and  so  ended  the 
campaign,  the  most  disastrous  to  the  Union  cause  of  all 
the  campaigns  of  the  Civil  War.  The  Union  and  Con 
federate  losses  in  the  seven  days  battles  were  about  equal 
—18,000  in  each  army,  including  killed,  wounded  and 
missing. 

June  26  (1917) — First  troops  of  the  American  army 
for  war  against  Germany  arrived  in  France,  year  1917. 

137 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

June  27  (1689) — Sir  Edmund  Andros,  royal  governor 
of  New  England,  was  impeached  by  the  colonial  House  of 
Deputies  at  Boston  and  sent  to  England,  year  1689.  This 
was  the  first  impeachment  of  a  high  government  officer 
in  America. 

June  27  (1844) — Joseph  Smith  and  Hyrum  Smith, 
Mormon  leaders,  were  assassinated  in  jail,  at  Carthage, 
111.,  year  1844. 

June  28  (1776)— Battle  of  Fort  Moultrie,  S.  C.,  year 
1776.  The  fort  was  built  of  palmetto  logs,  on  Sullivan's 
Island  in  the  Harbor  of  Charleston.  It  was  attacked  by  a 
British  fleet  under  Sir  Peter  Parker  and  was  defended  so 
well  by  Col.  William  Moultrie  and  435  Americans  that 
the  fleet  was  badly  damaged  and  withdrew.  This  action 
delivered  Charleston  from  British  attack  for  nearly  three 
years. 

June  28  (1778) — Battle  of  Monmouth,  N.  J.,  year 
1778.  General  Washington  (American,  11,000  men)  vs. 
Sir  Henry  Clinton  (British,  8,000  men).  Washington  had 
planned  to  strike  a  mortal  blow  at  the  British  army  of 
17,000  which  had  abandoned  Philadelphia  and  was  march 
ing  across  New  Jersey  to  New  York.  Through  the 
treachery  of  the  American  general,  Charles  Lee,  Wash 
ington's  plans  were  not  carried  out,  and  the  battle  was 
going  disastrously  against  the  Americans  until  Washing 
ton  himself,  on  the  field  rallied  them,  when  the  British 
retired  and  continued  their  march  in  safety.  In  effect,  it 
was  an  American  victory,  though  Washington  failed  to 
injure  the  British  seriously.  The  American  loss  was  229 
killed  and  wounded.  The  British  lost  400  killed  and 
wounded.  Molly  Pitcher,  the  wife  of  an  American  artil 
leryman,  saw  her  husband  fall  wounded,  and  immediately 
took  his  place  at  the  gun  and  continued  in  the  battle  until 
the  end.  (See  Oct.  13.) 

June  28  (1860) — Steamship  Great  Eastern  arrived  at 
New  York  from  Liverpool  on  her  first  trip  across  the  At 
lantic,  year  1860.  She  was  the  prototype  of  the  great 

138 


JUNE 

ocean  liners  of  to-day.  She  was  692  ft.  in  length,  83  ft. 
beam,  28  ft.  draught,  and  of  24,000  tons  displacement. 
She  was  fitted  to  carry  5,000  passengers.  She  was  char 
tered  to  carry  the  first  Atlantic  cable  in  1865 — which 
broke,  and  the  second  in  1866.  "  She  carried  the  French 
Atlantic  cable,  in  1869. 

June  29  (1767) — British  parliament  enacted  laws 
levying  import  duties  on  glass,  red  and  white  lead, 
painters'  colors,  paper  and  tea,  received  at  seaports  of  the 
American  colonies.  These  are  known  as  the  "Townshend 
Acts."  (See  Boston  Tea  Party,  Dec.  16.) 

June  30  (1834) — Indian  Territory  established  by  Act 
of  Congress,  year  1834. 


139 


JULY 
BATTLE  OF  GETTYSBURG 

July  1,  2,  and  3,  1863 

The  Union  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  terribly  de 
feated  by  the  Confederate  army  under  General  Lee  in  two 
great  battles,  at  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Dec.  13,  1862,  and 
five  months  later,  on  May  1,  2  and  3,  1863,  at  Chancellors- 
ville,  Va.  Immediately  after  the  latter  battle,  General 
Lee,  yielding  to  the  demand  of  the  Southern  people,  pre 
pared  to  invade  the  Northern  States,  capture  Philadel 
phia,  and  perhaps  New  York. 

In  the  first  week  of  June,  Lee's  army,  numbering 
about  75,000  men,  left  its  encampment  near  Fredericks- 
burg  and  marched  west  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley  and 
then  north  through  this  valley,  crossing  the  Potomac 
River,  thence  northward  through  western  Maryland  into 
Pennsylvania.  By  this  bold  movement,  he  had  swept 
around  the  Union  Army  of  the  Potomac  which  under 
Gen.  Joseph  Hooker  guarded  Washington.  Lee  left  this 
army  far  to  the  southward.  Indeed,  if  the  Union  com 
manders  desired,  they  could  have  then  marched  South 
and  captured  Richmond,  but  on  the  other  hand,  in  that 
event  Lee  could  turn  back  and  capture  Washington.  So 
the  Union  Army  followed  Lee  northward  to  protect  Bal 
timore,  Philadelphia  and  New  York.  A  decisive  battle 
between  the  two  armies  was  inevitable  and  both  com 
manders  manoeuvered  to  get  the  advantage  of  position. 
General  Hooker,  who  had  been  criticised  for  apparent 
dilatoriness,  resigned,  and  on  June  28,  Gen.  George  G. 
Meade  was  appointed  to  succeed  him  in  the  command. 
The  Union  Army  counted  about  90,000  men. 

Before  either  army  had  taken  position  for  battle,  and 
while  the  two  main  bodies  were  more  than  twenty-five 
miles  apart,  the  advance  or  scouting  forces  of  the  two 
armies  came  together  near  Gettysburg,  Pa.;  in  the  fore 
noon  of  Wednesday,  July  1. 

141 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Lee's  advance  was  moving  to  take  position  upon  the 
hills  at  Gettysburg,  not  knowing  that  Meade's  advance 
force  had  already  taken  possession  of  the  roads  leading 
to  those  hills.  So  the  first  clash  was  a  surprise  to  both 
armies.  The  Confederate  advance  attacked  the  Union 
advance  on  comparatively  level  ground  west  of  Gettys 
burg.  Reinforcements  came  steadily  to  both  sides.  After 
six  hours'  fighting,  the  Union  forces  retreated  a  short 
distance  to  Cemetery  Hill,  a  strong  position,  and  the  first 
day's  battle  ended.  The  total  number  of  Union  troops 
engaged  on  this  day  was  18,000.  The  Confederates  had 
about  25,000  in  their  final  advance  in  the  afternoon.  The 
Confederate  loss  was  about  2,500.  The  Union  loss  was 
not  reported,  but  was  very  heavy.  General  Reynolds,  an 
able  and  popular  Union  leader,  was  killed. 

Cemetery  Hill,  just  outside  the  town  of  Gettysburg, 
forms  one  of  a  number  of  hills  and  ridges  which  run  to 
gether  making  a  line  from  a  birdseye  view  in  the  form  of 
a  fishhook.  The  names  of  the  different  hills  in  this  line, 
beginning  at  the  head  or  eye  of  the  fishhook,  are  in  order, 
Round  Top,  Little  Round  Top,  Cemetery  Ridge,  Cem 
etery  Hill,  all  in  the  "shank"  of  the  hook ;  East  Cemetery 
Hill  and  Gulp's  Hill  in  the  bend  and  Power's  Hill  at  the 
point.  From  the  eye  to  the  point  of  this  line  is  about  five 
miles. 

Parallel  to  the  shank  of  the  fishhook  line  and  west 
of  it  on  the  side  away  from  the  bend  and  point,  is  a  high 
ridge  about  four  miles  in  length,  called  Seminary  Ridge 
because  a  Lutheran  seminary  was  established  at  one  end 
of  it.  Between  this  ridge  and  the  shank  of  the  fishhook 
line  is  a  valley  through  which  ran  the  entire  length,  the 
pike  road  to  Emmetsburg,  Md.  At  the  north  end  of  the 
valley  was  the  town  of  Gettysburg — then  a  small  town. 

On  the  night  of  July  1  and  early  morning  of  the  2nd, 
almost  the  entire  Confederate  army  arrived  and  took  po 
sition  on  Seminary  Ridge.  General  Lee  was  personally 
in  command.  At  the  same  time,  General  Meade  had  been 
hurrying  forward  his  various  corps,  and  one  by  one  they 

142 


JULY 

arrived  and  took  position  in  the  fishhook  line.  In  the 
forenoon  of  July  2,  the  entire  Union  army  was  in  position. 

Before  the  battle  of  the  second  day  began,  Lee  had 
extended  his  line  so  as  to  lap  the  bend  and  point  of 
Meade's  line.  Thus  he  also  formed  a  fishhook  line,  about 
seven  miles  in  total  length.  In  this  position,  Meade  had 
the  advantage,  for  he  had  the  inner  and  shorter  line.  The 
two  armies  were  about  a  mile  apart,  separated  by  a  valley. 

In  more  definite  detail,  the  positions  of  the  two 
armies  were  as  follows :  The  lines  of  both,  facing  each 
other,  extended  north  and  south,  both  bending  to  the  east 
at  the  north  end,  and  about  a  mile  of  distance  acro.ss  a 
valley  separating  them.  Lee's  right  wing  was  com 
manded  by  General  Longstreet;  opposed  to  him  on 
Meade's  left  was  General  Sickles  with  General  Sykes  in 
reserve;  Meade's  left  covered  Little  Round  Top,  Round 
Top,  and  one  part  of  Cemetery  Ridge.  Lee's  center  was 
under  General  Hill  and  opposed  to  him  was  Meade's  sub 
ordinates  General  Hancock  and  General  Howard; 
Meade's  center  covered  part  of  Cemetery  Ridge,  Cemetery 
Hill  and  East  Cemetery  Hill.  Lee's  left  wing  was  com 
manded  by  General  Ewall ;  opposed  to  him  was  General 
Slocum,  commanding  Meade's  right  wing,  which  covered 
the  bend  and  point  of  the  fishhook — Gulp's  Hill  and 
Power's  Hill. 

General  Longstreet,  after  the  war,  wrote  that  he  ad 
vised  General  Lee  against  a  frontal  attack,  since  Meade's 
position  was  a  strong  one  and  the  Union  forces  were 
numerically  superior.  Longstreet  proposed  a  movernent 
of  the  whole  Confederate  army  around  Meade's  left,  thus 
cutting  Meade  off  from  Washington  and  compelling  the 
Federals  to  fight  an  offensive  battle  where  they  would 
not  have  such  a  strong  position  as  that  of  the  fishhook 
line  at  Gettysburg.  According  to  General  Longstreet, 
Lee  replied : 

"No.  The  enemy  is  there,  and  I  am  going  to  attack 
him  there.'* 

143 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

At  half  past  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  July  2, 
Lee  ordered  Longstreet  to  advance  against  Meade's  left 
wing.  At  the  same  time  Ewall  opened  a  cannonade 
against  Meade's  right  wing  to  stop  reinforcements  that 
might  go  to  Meade's  left. 

Longstreet,  at  4  p.  m.  began  his  attack  on  Sickles, 
who  had,  contrary  to  orders,  moved  forward  into  the 
valley  at  a  place  called  the  Peach  Orchard.  At  the  same 
time  Hood's  Confederate  division  swept  around  the  Union 
left  with  intent  to  gain  the  heights  of  Little  Round  Top 
and  Round  Top,  and  then  roll  up  the  entire  left  and  cen 
ter  of  Meade's  army.  The  movement  partially  succeeded. 
A  fearful  struggle  ensued  for  the  possession  of  the, 
heights.  The  ground  was  rough,  rocks  and  trees  every 
where  breaking  the  surface ;  it  was  a  soldiers'  battle,  man 
against  man,  with  little  need  of  officers  to  direct  the 
firing.  Foot  by  foot  the  Confederates  fought  their  way 
upward.  But  Meade  saw  the  danger  and  rushed  rein 
forcements  barely  in  time  from  his  reserves  at  the  center 
and  left.  Meanwhile  Longstreet  had  overwhelmed 
Sfckles  and  driven  him  back  past  his  original  position. 
The  whole  Union  left  was  in  retreat,  though  fighting  des 
perately.  Now  the  Confederates,  widening  their  attack, 
pushed  on  to  the  base  of  Cemetery  Hill  and  threw  them 
selves  against  the  center  commanded  by  Hancock  with 
Meade  upon  the  battlefield  near  him.  The  Union  center 
held,  and  thus  the  Union  army  was  saved.  The  Confed 
erate  attack  was  thrown  back  as  twilight  dimmed  the 
hills,  and  they  withdrew  a  short  distance,  having  beaten 
Sickles  at  Peach  Orchard,  but  failing  to  capture  Round 
Top  and  Little  Round  Top,  nor  any  part  of  Cemetery 
Ridge. 

At  the  bend  of  the  fishhook,  Ewall  had  attacked 
Slocum  and  his  men  had  pressed  up  the  northern  slope  of 
Cemetery  Hill  and  Culp's  Hill  in  the  face  of  murderous 
fire.  The  struggle  here  lasted  until  10  o'clock  at  night 
wheri  both  sides  were  compelled  by  exhaustion  to  desist. 

144 


JULY 

The  Confederates  held  a  portion  of  the  Federal  lines  all 
night — a  great  advantage. 

In  this  battle  of  the  second  day,  33,000  men  fell 
killed  or  wounded.  It  was  the  bloodiest  day  of  the  Civil 
War.  The  Union  loss  was  greater  than  that  of  the  Con 
federates. 

General  Sickles,  whose  forward  movement  without 
orders  was  afterwards  the  cause  of  a  long  controversy, 
was  wounded  and  his  leg  was  amputated  on  the  field  of 
battle. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  third  day,  July  3,  the  ad 
vantage  seemed  to  lie  with  the  Confederates.  They  were 
determined  and  confident.  Lee  felt  that  he  had  been  vic 
torious  in  the  second  day's  battle.  On  the  other  hand, 
Meade  seemed  to  lack  confidence,  and  was  of  a  mind  to 
retreat  to  another  position  which  he  believed  stronger 
than  the  one  he  held.  But  his  officers  did  not  agree  with 
him.  A  council  of  war  was  held,  and  it  was  decided  to 
stand  at  Gettysburg  against  the  coming  third  attack  of 
the  Confederates.  It  was  estimated  that  there  were  but 
58,000  men  in  the  Union  Army  effective  for  the  third 
day's  battle,  out  of  90,000  that  were  effective  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  second  day.  The  Confederates  had  about 
45,000  effective  men  left. 

The  battle  of  the  third  day  was  begun  at  daylight  by 
Meade,  who  opened  with  artillery  to  drive  back  the  Con 
federates  who  had  won  a  lodgment  on  Gulp's  Hill,  in  the 
bend  of  the  fishhook,  the  day  before.  If  the  Confederates 
could  go  further  and  capture  the  Federal  lines  on  Gulp's 
Hill,  they  would  be  in  position  to  roll  up  Meade's  right 
and,  in  all  probability,  would  be  able  to  win  the  battle. 
But  they  could  not  do  it.  They  charged  up  the  hill  in 
desperate  effort  to  take  the  Union  artillery,  and,  after 
four  hours'  struggle  among  rocks  and  trees,  retired,  at 
11  o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  It  is  held  by  some  military 
critics  that  Lee  made  a  fatal  mistake  in  failing  to  send 
20,000  men  in  the  night  to  reinforce  the  Confederate  di 
vision  that  had  won  a  lodgment  on  Gulp's  Hill,  ready  to 

145 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

strike  their  heaviest  blow  at  Meade's  right  and  get  to  his 
rear,  while  Longstreet  would  strike  the  center  from  the 
front.  Such  a  movement  was  made  by  "Stonewall"  Jack 
son  at  Chancellorsville,  and  it  won  that  battle  for  Lee. 
It  was  not  attempted  at  Gettysburg. 

Now  Lee,  having  attacked  both  wings  of  Meade's 
army  without  success,  resolved  to  launch  a  final  grand 
assault  against  the  center.  He  ordered  Longstreet,  with 
15,000  men,  to  attack  Cemetery  Ridge  where  General  Han 
cock  was  in  command.  Longstreet,  after  the  war,  wrote 
that  he  had  tried  to  dissuade  Lee  from  making  this  at 
tack,  saying  to  Lee,  "There  was  never  a  body  of  15,000 
men  who  could  make  this  attack  successfully."  Accord 
ing  to  Longstreet,  Lee  received  the  objections  with  im 
patience,  and  so  he,  Longstreet,  went  on  and  obeyed 
orders. 

The  Confederate  attacking  force  was  formed  some 
what  as  a  wedge,  with  General  Pickett's  division  of  fresh 
troops  at  the  point.  At  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the 
Confederates  began  a  carmonade  from  115  guns  on  Semi 
nary  Ridge  directed  against  the  Union  center  on  Ceme 
tery  Hill  and  Cemetery  Ridge,  a  sort  of  barrage  fire  to 
prepare  the  way  for  Pickett's  charge.  The  Union  bat 
teries,  counting  eighty  guns,  replied,  and  for  an  hour  was 
fought  the  greatest  artillery  duel  of  the  war.  Curious  to 
say,  the  firing  on  both  sides  was  ineffective. 

At  2  o'clock  Lee  gave  the  command  for  Longstreet's 
assault.  Out  of  the  woods  on  Seminary  Ridge,  three  quar 
ters  of  a  mile  across  the  valley  from  Cemetery  Ridge, 
marched  Pickett's  splendid  division  of  4,900  Confederates, 
General  Pickett  riding  before  them  as  gaily  as  if  on  holi 
day  parade.  Behind  him,  in  wide  line,  his  five  brigades 
of  Virginians  and  Georgians  swung  forward  steadily,  a 
matchless  battle  array.  They  were  in  plain  sight  of  nearly 
the  whole  Union  army.  Steadily  adown  the  hill  they 
went  with  elastic  step,  steady  across  the  valley,  as  perfect 
a  line  as  when  on  parade.  Grape  shot  and  canister  from 

146 


JULY 


guns  in  front  rained  upon  them  and  the  batteries  on 
Round  Top  enfiladed  them,  but  not  once  did  they  falter  in 
that  advance  of  half  a  mile,  and  silently  "closed  up"  when 
the  shot  ploughed  their  ranks,  while  comrades  behind 
and  enemies  in  front  cried  out  in  admiration  of  such  dis 
ciplined  bravery. 

THE    "FISHHOOK    LINE"    AT    GETTYSBURG 


*'.£ 


tftf  ttt  ttt 

Town  of 
Gettysburg 


l2nD.CBORpP 
HAUL       U 

OOUBLEDAY   2 


LITfLE 
ROUND  TOP 


CONFEDERATE  c 
UNION  ana 
CON. HI&H  TIDE 


Diagram   of  Third    Day's    Battle   following   the    Description    by 
General   Abner    Doubleday 

At  the  foot  of  Cemetery  Ridge  they  paused  to  concen 
trate  while  the  fire  of  five  times  their  number  was  poured 
on  them  from  above.  And  then,  with  fixed  bayonets, 
obeying  Pickett's  order  "Charge !"  they  rushed  up  the  hill 

147 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

into  the  blaze  of  very  hell  fire,  they  swept  the  front  of  the 
Union  line  and  planted  the  Confederate  flag  upon  the 
crest  of  Cerhetery  Ridge.  They  had  accomplished  their 
part.  They  had  immortalized  themselves  in  the  grandest 
battle  charge  in  all  the  annals  of  war  to  that  time.  Alas 
for  Pickett  and  his  heroes !  Where  were  those  other  di 
visions  that  were  to  support  him?  Far  back,  faltering 
before  the  awful  storm  of  iron  and  lead;  they  came  on, 
but  slowly,  too  slowly. 

And  up  there  on  the  heights  of  Cemetery  Ridge  were 
Union  heroes  no  less  battle  inspired  than  Pickett's  men. 
They  were  of  Vermont,  New  York  and  Ohio.  They 
closed  in  front  and  flank  upon  the  devoted  Confederate 
legion  which  had  nearly  pierced  the  Union  army.  Hand 
to  hand  they  battled.  The  Confederates  could  go  no  fur 
ther.  They  had  done  all  that  mortal  men  could  do.  They 
were  flung  back  down  the  hill.  In  a  few  minutes  2,000  of 
Pickett's  division  fell  killed  or  wounded,  and  a  thousand 
were  prisoners.  The  whole  of  Longstreet's  command  re 
tired  to  their  line  upon  Seminary  Ridge.  Lee  had  failed. 

Thus  ended,  at  6:30  p.  m.,  the  Battle  of  Gettysburg, 
with  both  armies  in  the  same  positions  they  occupied  on 
the  morning  of  the  second  day.  Judged  by  strictly  mili 
tary  rules,  it  was  a  drawn  battle. 

Judged  by  results,  it  was  a  great  victory  for  the 
Union  cause.  The  wave  of  Confederates  that  went  up  to 
the  crest  of  Cemetery  Ridge  was  the  high  tide  of  the  Con 
federate  States  of  America.  Thereafter  it  receded,  until 
the  end  at  Appomattox — excepting  one  spasmodic  burst 
forward  at  Chickamauga,  five  months  after  Gettysburg. 

Lee  rested  a  day  on  Seminary  Ridge,  and  then,  on 
July  5,  began  his  retreat  to  Virginia. 

The  loss  of  the  Union  army  in  the  three  days  was 
3,072  killed,  14,497  wounded,  and  5,334  captured  or  miss 
ing—a  total  of  22,903. 

The  Confederate  loss  was  2,592  killed,  12,709 
wounded,  and  5,110  captured  or  missing — a  total  of  20,411. 

148 


JULY 

July  1  (1862)— Battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  Va.,  year 
1862.  Gen.  McClellan  (Union)  vs.  Gen.  Lee  (Confed 
erate).  The  Union  army  was  in  a  strong  position  on  high 
ground,  and  awaited  the  attack  of  the  Confederates.  The 
latter,  who  had  steadily  driven  back  McClellan's  army 
during  the  preceding  six  days  and  felt  contempt  for  that 
army,  charged  forward  with  confidence  and  even  care 
lessness  against  the  Federal  position.  The  attack  was  re 
pulsed  with  great  loss  to  the  Confederates.  Nicolay  and 
Hay,  in  "Abraham  Lincoln,"  wrote :  "The  defeat  and 
consequent  demoralization  of  the  Confederate  forces  sur 
passed  anything  seen  in  the  war,  and  it  might  have  been 
completed  by  a  vigorous  offensive  on  the  morning  of 
the  2nd."  This  assertion  is  probably  an  exaggeration, 
but  there  is  no  doubt  that  McClellan  was  given  a  splen 
did  opportunity,  by  this  victory,  to  deliver  a  counter  at 
tack  in  the  morning  with  a  good  chance  of  driving  back 
Lee's  army  to  Richmond  and  even  completing  the  cap 
ture  of  the  Confederate  capital.  Instead  of  this,  Mc 
Clellan  retreated  in  the  morning,  and  thus  evoked  a  storm 
of  criticism  that  had  been  gathering  against  him  which 
eventually  destroyed  his  reputation  as  a  capable  com 
mander  of  large  armies  in  war.  (See  June  26.) 

July  1  (1898) — Battles  of  San  Juan  and  El  Caney, 
Cuba  (Spanish  War),  year  1898.  Both  ended  with 
American  victory.  San  Juan  Heights  rises  just  outside 
the  city  of  Santiago  de  Cuba,  on  the  eastward.  It  was 
strongly  fortified  and  held  by  a  force  of  about  1,200 
Spaniards  under  General  Linares.  Two  miles  northeast 
of  San  Juan  Heights  lies  the  village  of  El  Caney.  It  was 
naturally  a  fortress,  and  had  been  garrisoned  by  550 
Spaniards. 

General  Shafter,  on  July  1,  began  his  final  advance 
against  Santiago.  He  sent  General  Lawton's  division  of 
6,650  men  against  El  Caney,  and  the  divisions  of  General 
Wheeler  and  General  Kent,  numbering  8,400  men,  against 
San  Juan.  The  small  Spanish  garrison  of  El  Caney  re- 

149 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

sisted  heroically  for  eight  hours,  and  retired  to  Santiago 
when  half  their  number  had  fallen.  The  American  loss 
was  81  killed  and  360  wounded.  The  attack  at  San  Juan 
succeeded  in  much  shorter  time.  Among  the  regiments 
that  charged  up  the  hillside  (Kettle  Hill)  was  the  one 
commanded  by  Lieut.  Col.  Theodore  Roosevelt  who 
wrote  the  history  of  this  regiment  in  which  he  tells: 
"Wood  and  I  were  speedily  commissioned  as  Colonel  and 
Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  First  United  States  Volunteer 
Cavalry.  This  was  the  official  title  of  the  regiment,  but 
for  some  reason  or  other  the  public  promptly  christened 
us  the  'Rough  Riders.'  At  first  we  fought  against  the 
use  of  the  term,  but  to  no  purpose ;  and  when  finally  the 
Generals  of  Division  and  Brigade  began  to  write  in  for 
mal  communications  about  our  regiment  as  the  'Rough 
Riders'  we  adopted  the  term  ourselves."  This  famous 
regiment  mustered  583  men  at  San  Juan.  Wood  was 
given  command  of  a  brigade  before  Santiago  and  Roose 
velt  then  took  entire  command.  He  was  conspicuously 
active  during  the  battle  which  lasted  about  five  hours. 
His  regiment  lost  15  killed  and  73  wounded. 

The  total  Spanish  loss  was  about  350  killed, 
wounded  and  prisoners.  The  total  American  loss  was 
135  killed  and  958  wounded  (including  the  few  casualties 
of  July  2  and  3).  Thus  it  is  impressed  on  us  that  San 
Juan  was  a  bloody  battle. 

The  capture  of  San  Juan  Heights  and  El  Caney  com 
pelled  the  Spanish  fleet  to  leave  the  harbor  of  Santiago 
(see  Naval  Battle  of  Santiago,  July  3),  and  forced  the 
surrender  of  the  city  of  Santiago  on  July  17.  (See  Oct.  27.) 

July  2  (1881) — Assassination  of  President  James  A. 
Garfield,  year  1881.  Shortly  after  the  inauguration  of 
President  Garfield  on  March  4,  1881,  an  obscure  lawyer 
named  Charles  J.  Guiteau  of  Chicago  applied  to  be  ap 
pointed  U.  S.  consul  at  Marseilles,  France.  He  went  to 
Washington  to  urge  his  application.  He  had  little  poli 
tical  influence  and  his  character  was  not  such  as  might 

150 


JULY 

qualify  him  for  such  an  important  post  without  strong 
political  backing.  The  President,  properly,  dismissed  his 
application.  At  that  time,  there  was  a  bitter  factional 
quarrel  among  Republican  party  leaders.  Senator  Ros- 
coe  Conkling  especially  opposed  Garfield,  and  the  news 
papers  printed  many  fierce  recriminations  by  the  ad 
herents  of  each  faction.  Guiteau,  filled  with  disappoint 
ment  and  also  moved  by  the  newspaper  attacks  on  the 
President,  planned  to  kill  him.  The  President,  about  to 
go  upon  a  journey,  entered  the  waiting  room  of  the  Balti 
more  and  Potomac  Railroad  (later  the  Pennsylvania  Ry.) 
station  at  Washington  accompanied  by  a  few  friends. 
Guiteau  had  awaited  the  moment.  Unsuspected,  he  ap 
proached  Mr.  Garfield  from  behind,  drew  a  revolver  and 
fired  two  shots,  one  of  which  entered  the  back,  broke  a 
rib  and  lodged  deep  in  the  body.  The  President  was 
carried  back  to  the  White  House  and  there  lay  for  ten 
weeks,  death  hovering  every  moment  at  his  bed.  On 
Sept.  6,  he  was  carried  to  a  special  train  which  conveyed 
him  to  Elberon,  N.  J.,  beside  the  Atlantic  sea  shore. 
There  he  rallied  for  a  week,  and  then  blood  poisoning  set 
in.  He  died  peacefully  on  Sept.  19,  1881.  Guiteau  was 
tried  for  murder  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  District  of 
Columbia.  He  pleaded  insanity  and  the  trial  lasted  more 
than  two  months.  On  Jan.  25,  1882,  the  jury,  after  one 
hour's  deliberation,  found  him  guilty  of  murder.  He  was 
sentenced  to  death,  and  was  hanged  in  the  District  of  Co 
lumbia  jail  on  June  30,  1882.  (See  Nov.  19.) 

;  July  3  (1778)— Massacre  at  Wyoming,  Pa.,  year  1778. 
A  force  of  Indians  and  border  rangers  in  the  service  of 
England,  numbering  600  men,  fell  upon  the  settlers  of  the 
valley  of  the  Wyoming  river  in  northern  Pennsylvania 
who  numbered  about  3,000.  The  settlers  made  a  defense 
with  a  force  of  300  but  were  overwhelmed  by  an  ambus 
cade  of  Indians.  Two  hundred  and  twenty-five  scalps 
were  taken  by  the  Indians  in  half  an  hour.  The  British 
lost  two  whites  killed  and  eight  Indians  wounded.  Next 

151 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

day  the  entire  valley  was  ravaged:  1,000  houses  were 
burned,  many  of  the  women  and  children  were  killed ;  the 
majority  escaped  and  fled  eastward  to  refuge  in  other 
settlements.  The  massacre  remains  in  history  as  the 
worst  blot  on  the  military  honor  of  the  British  in  America. 
July  3  (1890) — Idaho  admitted  into  the  Union,  year 
1890. 

NAVAL  BATTLE  OF  SANTIAGO 
July  3,  1898 

War  against  Spain  was  declared  on  April  18,  1898. 
The  McKinley  administration,  feeling  that  war  was  com 
ing,  had  begun  the  mobilization  of  naval  forces  in  Jan 
uary,  and  now  when  the  declaration  of  war  was  formally 
made,  there  was  in  the  harbor  of  Key  West,  Florida,  the 
most  powerful  fleet  that  the  United  States  had  ever  pro 
duced  and  assembled.  Captain  William  T.  Sampson,  an 
officer  who  had  led  the  ship  mechanism  and  ordnance  im 
provement  of  the  navy  for' fifteen  years,  was  promoted  to 
rear  admiral  and  placed  in  command  of  this  fleet. 

At  the  same  time,  the  Spanish  admiralty  was  keenly 
active.  Spain  possessed  some  of  the  newest  and  finest 
warships  in  the  world.  In  expectation  of  war,  the  Spanish 
government  sent  to  the  Cape  Verde  Islands  a  fleet  composed 
of  four  armored  cruisers  and  three  destroyers.  Of  these, 
the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  the  Vise  ay  a,  and  the  Almirante 
Oquendo  were  sister  ships  of  6,890  tons  each.  They  were 
of  the  latest  type,  each  with  armor  12  inches  thick,  and 
each  carried  two  11-inch  guns  in  turrets  and  ten  5.5-inch 
rifles  in  broadsides,  besides  smaller  rapid  fire  guns.  They 
had  been  tested  for  speed'and  had  shown  20  knots  (about 
22^/2  miles)  an  hour.  By  reason  of  their  potential  swift 
ness,  these  ships  were  regarded  with  grave  anxiety  by  the 
American  authorities.  They  could  easily  run  away  from 
the  American  battleships,  and  there  were  but  two  ar 
mored  cruisers  in  the  American  fleet,  the  New  York  and 
the  Brooklyn,  that  matched  them  in  speed,  armor  and 
guns.  The  fourth  cruiser  of  the  Spanish  fleet  was  the 

152 


JULY 

Christobal  Colon  of  6,840  tons,  with  6  inches  of  armor, 
and  a  battery  of  ten  6-inch  guns  and  six  4.7-inch  guns. 
Though  not  as  powerful  in  armament  as  the  other  three 
ships,  she  was  the  newest  and  swiftest  of  the  Spanish 
Navy.  Also  there  were  the  three  destroyers,  newest  type, 
the  Pluton  and  Terror  of  400  tons  and  the  Furor  of  370 
tons.  This  fleet  was  commanded  by  Admiral  P.  Cervera 
on  board  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa. 

By  reason  of  its  high  speed  and  armament,  this 
Spanish  fleet  might  select  its  own  battle  conditions  and 
deliver  a  heavy  blow  upon  the  United  States  coast  or  fleet 
before  forces  could  be  concentrated  to  successfully 
grapple  with  it.  After  war  was  declared,  the  power, 
ferociousness  and  mystery  of  this  fleet  were  constantly 
impressed  upon  the  American  public  by  the  newspapers, 
and  with  much  exaggeration,  so  that  the  whole  country 
was  on  the  tiptoe  of  nervous  excitement,  having  no 
knowledge  of  where  the  first  blow  would  be  struck  by  the 
Spanish. 

Meanwhile,  the  Americans  had  established  a  com 
plete  blockade  of  the  Island  of  Cuba  to  prevent  commu 
nications  between  the  Spanish  forces  in  the  Island  and 
the  government  authorities  of  Spain. 

On  April  30,  Admiral  Cervera's  fleet  steamed  from 
the  Cape  Verde  Islands,  bound  westward.  For  three 
weeks  the  United  States  waited  in  tense  anxiety,  not 
knowing  where  the  mysterious  enemy  would  first  strike, 
whether  at  Boston,  New  York,  the  Chesapeake,  Key 
West,  or  at  the  lone  U.  S.  S.  Oregon  which  was  out  upon 
the  South  Atlantic  rushing  northward,  in  the  trip  from 
San  Francisco  to  Key  West. 

On  May  11,  Cervera's  squadron  was  sighted  off  the 
Island  of  Martinique  in  the  West  Indies.  The  American 
warships  at  once  steamed  from  Key  West  in  search  of 
battle. 

At  this  time,  Santiago,  the  second  city  of  Cuba,  on 
the  south  coast  of  the  Island,  situated  on  a  fine  harbor, 

153 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

was  occupied  by  a  Spanish  force  of  12,000  men  under 
General  Toral.  It  was  strongly  fortified.  An  army  of 
about  5,000  Cuban  insurgents  under  General  Garcia, 
fighting  against  Spain,  lay  outside  the  city,  technically 
besieging  it,  but  of  course  unable  to  capture  it.  Of  all 
possible  movements,  it  was  least  expected  that  Cervera's 
fleet  would  go  to  Santiago  and  allow  itself  to  be  "bottled 
up."  Yet,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  Americans,  that 
is  just  what  the  Spanish  admiral  did.  On  May  19th, 
the  Spanish  fleet  dropped  anchor  in  Santiago  harbor. 

It  was  not  until  May  29  that  a  portion  of  the  Amer 
ican  fleet,  under  Commodore  Winfield  Scott  Schley, 
arrived  off  Santiago  and  discovered  the  Spanish  ships 
inside  the  harbor.  At  once  the  whole  American  fleet 
was  sent  to  blockade  Santiago  harbor  with  Admiral 
Sampson  in  command.  He  had  twelve  ships  in  his  fleet, 
as  follows : 

Iowa,  1st  class  battleship;  11,340  tons;  commander,  Capt. 
Robley  D.  Evans. 

Massachusetts,  1st  class  battleship;  10,288  tons;  com 
mander,  Capt.  John  Francis  Higginson. 

Indiana,  1st  class  battleship;  10,288  tons;  commander, 
Capt.  Henry  C.  Taylor. 

Oregon,  1st  class  battleship;  10,288  tons;  commander, 
Capt.  Charles  Edgar  Clark. 

Texas,  2nd  class  battleship;  6,315  tons;  commander,  Capt. 
John  Woodward  Philip. 

New  York,  armored  cruiser;  8,200  tons  flagship;  com 
manders,  Admiral  W.  T.  Sampson,  Capt.  French  E. 
Chadwick. 

Brooklyn,  armored  cruiser;  9,214  tons;  commanders,  Com 
modore  Winfield  S.  Schley  (second  in  command  of 
fleet),  Capt.  Francis  A.  Cook. 

Gloucester,  converted  yacht;  786  tons;  commander,  Lieut. 
Richard  Wainwright. 

Vixen,  converted  yacht ;  806  tons ;  commander,  Lieut. 
Alexander  Sharp,  Jr. 

154 


JULY 

Hist,  converted  yacht ;  472  tons ;  commander,  Lieut.  Lucien 

Young. 
Ericsson,    torpedo    boat;    120    tons;    commander,  Lieut. 

Nathaniel  R.  Usher. 

Suwanee,  converted  yacht;  commander,  Lieut.  Com.  Daniel 
Delehanty. 

(The   Massachusetts   and   Suwanee   did   not   take   part   in   the 
battle'of  July  3.) 

These  ships  were  placed  in  line,  forming  an  arc,  to 
completely  close  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  at  a  distance 
of  six  miles  by  day  and  four  miles  by  night.  For  a  whole 
month,  night  and  day,  they  kept  ceaseless  watch,  waiting 
for  the  moment  when  the  Spanish  ships  would  have  to 
come  out  or  surrender  at  anchor. 

Meanwhile,  an  American  land  force  of  16,000  men 
under  General  Shafter  was  transported  from  Florida  and 
landed  near  Santiago,  to  aid  in  the  capture  of  the  Spanish 
fleet  and  the  city  of  Santiago.  It  disembarked  on  June 
22-24.  On  July  1,  Shafter's  army  assaulted  and  carried 
the  outlying  Spanish  earthworks  and  other  fortifications 
at  El  Caney  and  San  Juan.  The  fighting  was  desperate, 
and  though  the  Americans  were  victorious,  Shafter 
seemed  to  think  his  army  was  in  great  peril.  General 
Shafter  himself  was  ill.  He  sent  word  to  Admiral  Samp 
son — "I  urge  you  to  make  effort  immediately  to  force 
the  entrance  to  avoid  future  losses  among  my  men." 
Strange  to  say,  at  this  very  moment,  the  Spanish  officers 
were  in  council  planning  to  escape  out  of  the  harbor  with 
the  Spanish  fleet.  It  was,  indeed,  an  extraordinary  situa 
tion,  the  Spanish  believing  that  50,000  Americans  were 
outside  Santiago  and  fearing  the  capture  of  the  city  and 
the  Spanish  ships  by  Shafter's  army,  while  Shafter  was 
in  fear  that  his  army  would  be  destroyed  unless  Sampson 
went,  into  the  harbor  and  fought  the  Spanish  ships.  The 
American  army  had  been  sent  to  Santiago  primarily  to 
assist  the  navy  in  capturing  Cervera's  ships,  but  here  was 
the  army's  general  asking  the  navy  admiral  to  save  him 

155 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

from  destruction !     So  a  council  of  war  was  necessary 
between  the  army  and  navy  commanders. 

Sunday  morning,  July  3,  1898,  a  soft  tropical  day, 
the  battleship  Massachusetts  and  the  little  Suwanee  left 
the  line  to  go  to  Guantanamo  for  coal.  It  was  the  custom 
to  send  away  the  ships  in  turn  for  coal.  Later,  at  nine 
o'clock,  Admiral  Sampson  in  the  New  York  steamed 
away  to  hold  his  conference  with  General  Shafter."  The 
New  York  was  accompanied  by  the  Ericsson.  Every 
captain  in  the  fleet  had  exact  orders  telling  him  what 
to  do  if  the  Spanish  ships  came  out  while  Sampson  was 
absent.  Now  came  the  climax  in  this  amazing  campaign 
of  cross  purposes.  Cervera  knew  nothing  of  Sampson's 
plan  to  confer  with  Shafter,  and  Sampson  knew  nothing 
of  Cervera's  plan  to  dash  out  of  the  harbor  on  this  Sun 
day  morning.  But  it  so  happened  that  Sampson  left  the 
line  at  almost  the  same  minute  that  Cervera  left  his 
anchorage  in  the  harbor.  When  the  New  York  had 
steamed  but  half  a  dozen  miles  to  the  eastward,  the  first 
of  the  Spanish  ships  was  seen  coming  out.  Instantly, 
the  New  York  was  turned  back  and  the  signal  was 
hoisted — "Close  in  towards  the  harbor  and  attack  vessels," 
and  the  New  York  raced  back  to  engage  in  the  battle. 
She  was  too  late. 

It  was  Cervera's  plan  to  rush  straight  at  the 
Brooklyn,  the  fastest  ship  in  the  American  line,  sink  her 
if  possible,  and  then  run  away  to  the  westward.  Out 
came  the  Spanish  ships  under  full  steam,  Cervera  in  the 
Infanta  Maria  Teresa  leading.  They  turned  westward  at 
the  mouth  of  the  harbor.  The  Brooklyn  was  in  the  best 
position  to  head  them  off.  But  Schley  believed  it  best 
to  keep  away  for  a  time  and  he  made  a  loop  to  seaward, 
losing  some  distance,  but  still  keeping  a  good  position 
to  beat  them  in  the  race  down  the  coast.  The  leading 
Spanish  ship  did  not  get  within  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
of  the  Brooklyn.  The  Iowa  kept  nearer  to  the  flying 
Spaniards  and  poured  in  a  terrible  fire.  All  the  other 

156 


JULY 

ships  followed,  firing  with  astonishing  effect.  In  half  an 
hour  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  and  the  Almirante  Oquendo 
were  in  flames  and  headed  for  the  shore.  At  a  quarter 
past  10  o'clock  the  Teresa  was  a  burning  wreck  upon 
the  beach,  six  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  harbor.  The 
Oquendo  was  also  a  riddled  wreck,  beached  half  a  mile 
further  west. 

Now  the  Viscaya  and  the  Christobal  Colon  passed 
through  a  gap  in  the  American  line  at  the  west  and 
seemed  like  to  escape.  But  the  Brooklyn,  Texas  and 
Oregon  kept  on  in  chase,  and  at  a  quarter  past  11  o'clock 
the  Viscaya  went  ashore  and  was  wrecked,  twenty  miles 
west  of  Morro  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor. 

The  Christobal  Colon  remained  uninjured,  the  fastest 
of  the  Spanish  fleet.  She  had  hugged  the  shore  inside  of 
her  consorts.  She  was  six  miles  away  from  her  pursuers 
and  ahead  of  them.  Then  came  the  most  dramatic  race 
in  the  history  of  the  United  States  Navy.  The  Brooklyn 
and  Oregon,  their  guns  silent,  steamed  under  terrific 
pressure.  Slowly  they  gained.  After  an  hour  and  a  half 
of  this  terrible  race,  the  Oregon  opened  fire  again;  and 
the  13-inch  shell  -dropped  in  the  sea  beyond  the  Colon. 
But  a  few  minutes  more  and  the  exact  range  would  be 
found  and  the  fleeing  Spaniard  would  be  torn  to  pieces. 
The  8-inch  shells  of  the  Brooklyn  dropped  around  the 
Colon.  The  Spanish  captain,  hopeless,  before  his  ship 
was  fairly  hit,  hauled  down  his  flag,  turned  his  ship 
northward  toward  land,  ran  full  upon  a  ledge  of  rocks 
and  hung  there  helpless,  some  fifty  miles  west  of  Santiago. 
Thus  ended  the  battle. 

The  Spanish  destroyers  Furor  and  Pluton,  early  in 
the  fight,  coming  out  of  the  harbor  last,  had  been  pounced 
upon  by  the  Gloucester,  and  after  one  of  the  most  brilliant 
engagements  in  American  naval  history,  lasting  only  twenty 
minutes,  the  Furor  was  beached  and  the  Pluton  sunk. 

The  story  is  told  that  when  the  Viscaya  went  ashore, 
a  burning  and  riddled  wreck,  the  men  of  the  Texas  set 

157 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

up  a  cheer,  but  instantly  Captain  Philip — known  and 
loved  in  all  the  Navy  Service  as  a  chivalrous  Christian 
gentleman — raised  his  hand  and  cried  out  to  them, 
"Don't  cheer,  boys!  The  poor  devils  are  dying!"  and  a 
solemn  hush  fell  upon  all  that  ship's  company. 

The  whole  time  of  the  battle  was  3  hours  and  50 
minutes. 

Admiral  Sampson  reported  to  the  Navy  Department 
at  Washington — "Our  loss  was  one  man  killed  and  one 
wounded,  both  on  the  Brooklyn."  The  total  Spanish 
loss  was  350  killed,  160  wounded,  and  1774  prisoners. 

In  all  the  history  of  the  world,  no  such  disparity 
in  losses  by  naval  combatant  forces  was  ever  recorded 
in  any  other  battle.  The  destruction  of  the  Spanish  fleet 
at  Santiago  was  a  mortal  blow  to  Spain's  power  in  the 
Western  Continent.  On  July  26  the  Spanish  government 
asked  for  terms  of  peace.  On  Aug.  12,  Spain  accepted 
the  American  proposals.  The  treaty  of  peace  was  signed 
on  Dec.  10,  1898. 

DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE 

July  4,  1776 

On  June  7,  1776,  Richard  Henry  Lee  of  Virginia, 
in  the  second  Continental  Congress,  at  Philadelphia, 
offered  the  following  resolution: 

"Resolved,  That  these  united  colonies  are,  and 

of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  independent  states; 

that    they    are    absolved    from    allegiance    to    the 

British   Crown,   and  that   all   political   connection 

between  them  and  the  state  of  Great  Britain  is, 

and  of  right  ought  to  be,  totally  dissolved." 

After  a  debate  lasting  several  days,  this  resolution 

was  laid  on  the  table,  and  a  committee  of  five  was  elected 

to  get  up  a  formal  declaration  which  would  be  submitted 

to  the  Congress  when  the   Lee  resolution  would  again 

be  taken  up.    The  five  were,  in  the  order  of  their  election, 

Thomas  Jefferson,   Roger  Sherman,  Robert   Livingston, 

Benjamin  Franklin  and  John  Adams. 

158 


JULY 

Thomas  Jefferson  was  then  a  little  past  thirty-three 
years  of  age.  His  ability  as  a  thinker  and  writer  was 
well-known.  The  committee  met  immediately  after  ap 
pointment.  Jefferson  suggested  that  Adams  should  draw 
up  the  Declaration.  Adams  objected,  saying:  "You  can 
write  ten  times  better  than  I  can."  The  others  agreed 
that  Jefferson  ought  to  make  the  first  draft,  and  he  'con 
sented. 

At  some  time  in  the  following  three  weeks,  Jeffer 
son  wrote  the  paper.  We  are  led  to  believe  he  did  it 
at  one  sitting,  or  one  day,  or  night. 

Many  years  later  he  remarked :  "Whether  I  had 
gathered  my  ideas  from  reading  or  reflection,  I  do  not 
know.  I  only  know  that  I  turned  to  neither  book  nor 
pamphlet  while  writing  it."  The  original  draft  in  Jeffer 
son's  handwriting  is  preserved  at  Washington.  It  is 
written  upon  four  large  sheets — about  foolscap  size. 

The  committee  made  a  few  insignificant  changes 
and  adopted  it  on  June  28,  1776.  On  that  day  it»  was 
reported  to  Congress.  It  was  laid  over.  On  the  follow 
ing  Monday,  July  1,  the  Lee  resolution  was  taken  up 
and  debated  further.  Next  day,  July  2,  it  was  voted  on 
and  passed,  three  delegates  voting  against  it ;  these  three 
were  Humphries  and  Willing  of  Pennsylvania  and  Read 
of  Delaware.  This  was  actually  the  first  declaration  of 
independence.  John  Adams,  writing  next  day  to  his  wife, 
said:  "The  second  day  of  July,  1776,  will  be  celebrated 
by  succeeding  generations  as  the  great  anniversary  fes 
tival."  No  doubt  other  leaders  of  the  Congress  regarded 
the  adoption  of  the  Lee  resolution  as  of  greater  im 
portance  than  the  formal  declaration  which  Jefferson 
had  drawn  up.  However,  the  people  judged  otherwise. 

Immediately  after  the  passage  of  the  Lee  resolution, 
the  declaration  reported  by  the  Jefferson  committee  was 
taken  up.  There  were  many  objections  to  specific  parts 
of  it,  and  some  important  passages  were  stricken  out. 
Georgia  and  South  Carolina  opposed  the  part  reprobating 

159 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

slavery,  and  it  was  crossed  out.  Others  objected  to  the 
censure  of  the  people  of  England ;  they  wanted  to  confine 
the  censure  to  the  King  of  England,  and  this  was  done. 
It  is  said  that  Jefferson  was  wrathy  with  impatience  at 
seeing  his  paper  so  mutilated,  and  Franklin  comforted 
him,  saying:  "I  have  made  it  a  rule  to  avoid  becoming 
the  draftsman  of  papers  to  be  reviewed  by  a  public  body." 
Had  the  debate  been  at  a  different  season  of  the  year, 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  might  have  been  ma 
terially  different.  Jefferson  afterwards  wrote : 

"But  the  weather  was  oppressively  warm  and  the 
room  occupied  by  the  deputies  was  hard  by  a  stable, 
whence  hungry  flies  swarmed  thick  and  fierce,  alighting 
on  the  legs  of  the  delegates  and  biting  hard  through  their 
silk  stockings." 

Fortunately  for  the  world,  the  hot  weather  and  the 
uncomfortable  room  where  Congress  was  in  session  had 
a  strong  tendency  to  stop  the  flow  of  oratory,  particu 
larly  from  the  smaller  minded  politicians,  of  whom  there 
were  several  that  might  have  gone  on  indefinitely  object 
ing.  And  so,  on  July  4,  1776,  the  immortal  Declaration 
was  finally  passed  with  comparatively  few  changes  from 
the  original  draft. 

The  vote  was  unanimous;  New  York  did  not  vote 
officially,  because  there  was  some  question  as  to  whether 
the  delegates  from  that  State  had  been  legally  elected, 
but  the  New  York  delegation  present  signified  their  ap 
proval  as  individuals. 

The  title  adopted,  was,  as  Jefferson  had  written  it: 
"Declaration  by  the  Representatives  of  the  United  States 
of  America  in  General  Congress  Assembled." 

There  is  little,  if  any,  solid  historical  evidence  to 
prove  the  widespread  popular  belief  that  the  people  of 
Philadelphia  gave  vent  to  spasms  of  joy  immediately 
after  the  adoption  of  the  Declaration.  A  few  copies  of 
the  Declaration  were  written  out  that  day  and  sent  to 
the  several  State  assemblies  then  in  session,  but  the  gen- 

160 


JULY 

eral  public,  even  of  Philadelphia,  had  to  wait  until  July 
6,  when  the  Pennsylvania  Evening  Post  printed  the  paper 
in  full.  It  was  after  this  that  the  joyous  celebration  took 
place  throughout  the  colonies. 

The  most  widespread  error  in  the  popular  mind,  and 
perhaps  the  most  inexcusable,  is  the  belief  that  the  dele 
gates,  immediately  after  adopting  the  Declaration,  went 
forward  to  the  desk  of  the  president  of  the  Congress  and 
wrote  their  names  then  and  there,  signing  it.  The  simple 
facts  are  as  follows : 

The  first  "fair  copy"  made  by  Mr.  Jefferson  after 
the  original  rough  draft  had  been  adopted  by  the  com 
mittee,  was  the  copy  used  in  the  debate.  It  was,  of 
course,  mutilated  in  the  debate.  The  secretaries  and 
assistants  made  several  copies  of  the  Declaration  as  it 
was  finally  adopted,  and  these  may  have  been  signed  by 
the  president  and  secretary  of  the  Congress.  It  is  likely 
that  they  were  signed  by  these  two  officials,  but  there 
is  no  certainty  of  such  signing,  nor  any  other  signing. 
On  July  15,  Congress  ordered  that  the  document  be 
"fairly  engrossed  on  parchment,  with  the  title  and  style 
of  'The  Unanimous  Declaration  of  the  Thirteen  United 
States  of  America/  and  that  the  same,  when  engrossed, 
be  signed  by  every  member  of  Congress."  It  was  on 
August  2,  nearly  a  month  after  the  adoption  of  the 
Declaration,  that  most  of  the  members  wrote  their  sig 
natures  upon  the  parchment. 

The  act  of  signing  was  evidently  not  regarded  as 
very  important,  at  that  time ;  it  does  not  appear  that  the 
members  knew  that  this  one  act  of  signing  was  to  make 
even  the  most  silent  of  them  famous  for  all  time.  Seven 
who  were  members  on  that  Fourth  of  July  and  voted 
for  the  Declaration  did  not  sign  at  all.  These  seven 
were  Clinton,  Alsop,  R.  Livingston,  Wisner,  Willing, 
Humphries  and  Rogers.  Between  July  4th  and  August 
2nd,  several  new  members  had  been  elected.  The  follow 
ing  seven,  who  signed,  were  not  members  on  July  4th, 

161 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

and,  of  course,  did  not  vote  for  the  Declaration :  Thorn 
ton,  Williams,  Rush,  Clymer,  Smith,  Taylor  and  Ross. 

The  present  day  British  liberal  point  of  view  is  per 
haps  best  expressed  in  a  comparatively  late  history  en 
titled  "The  American  Revolution,"  by  Sir  George  Otto 
Trevelyan,  a  British  writer  and  thinker  of  high  standing. 
Indirectly  he  classes  the  Declaration  with  certain  great 
literary  productions  of  a  certain  sort.  He  writes : 

"The  wiser  world  has  recognized  that  there  are  cer 
tain  productions  which  stand  in  a  class  apart.  To  that 
class  belong  Elizabeth's  speech  at  Tilbury,  and  the 
Declaration  of  William  of  Orange,  and  President  Lin 
coln's  -discourse  in  the  Cemetery  at  Gettysburg.  The  ex 
cellence  of  such  pieces  is  to  be  judged,  not  by  the  ordinary 
rules  of  criticism,  but  by  the  character  and  extent  of  the 
response  they  evoked  from  the  nation  to  which  they  were 
addressed.  The  people  (said  Samuel  Adams)  seemed  to 
recognize  the  resolution  of  Congress  as  if  it  were  a  de 
cree  promulgated  from  heaven.  The  Declaration  of  In 
dependence  went  straight  to  their  hearts,  because  they 
found  it  their  own  conceptions,  put  into  words  which 
few  or  none  of  them  were  capable  of  writing.  Jefferson 
had  'poured  the  soul  of  the  continent'  into  his  manifesto ; 
and  therefore  (as  a  Congressman,  who  had  signed  it,  joy 
fully  exclaimed)  'produced  a  glorious  effect  and  made 
the  colonies  all  alive.' ' 

July  4  (1789) — First  protective  tariff  act  passed  by 
Congress,  year  1789.  Specific  duties  were  placed  on 
spirits  and  fermented  liquors,  tea,  coffee,  sugar  and  a 
few  other  articles.  Ad-valorem  duties  averaging  S*/2  per 
cent,  were  placed  on  the  other  imports.  This  tariff  was 
constructed  largely  by  James  Madison. 

July  4  (1804) — Nathaniel  Hawthorne,  author,  born 
at  Salem,  Mass.,  July  4,  1804;  died  at  Plymouth,  N.  H., 
May  18,  1864;  was  buried  in  Sleepy  Hollow  cemetery  at 
Concord,  Mass.  One  of  the  rarest,  subtlest,  strongest 
and  kindest  literary  geniuses  of  the  Western  Continent, 

162 


JULY 

and  recognized  throughout  the  world  as  America's  great 
est  romance  writer.  His  best  known  works  are  :  "Twice 
Told  Tales"  (1837),  "Mosses  From  an  Old  Manse" 
(1846),  "The  Scarlet  Letter"  (1850),  "The  House  of  the 
Seven  Gables"  (1851)  and  "The  Marble  Faun"  (1860). 
He  was  the  companion  of  President  Franklin  Pierce,  and 
while  on  a  journey  with  the  President,  stopping  over 
night,  at  an  inn,  he  died  in  his  sleep. 

July  4  (1826) — Stephen  Collins  Foster,  song  com 
poser,  born  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  year  1826;  died  at  New 
York,  Jan.  13,  1864.  His  most  famous  songs  are  "Old- 
Folks  at  Home"  (1850),  "Old  Kentucky  Home"  (1855), 
"Massa's  in  the  Cold,  Cold  Ground"  (1856),  and  "Old 
Black  Joe"  (1861).  He  wrote  altogether  about  125 
songs,  both  words  and  music.  He  died  poor. 

July  4  (1836) — United  States  Patent  Bureau  estab 
lished,  year  1836.  The  institution  was  directly  due  to 
Senator  John  Ruggles  of  Massachusetts.  He  was  called 
"the  father  of  the  patent  office." 

July  4  (1863) — Vicksburg,  Miss.,  surrendered,  year 
1863.  General  Grant  (Union,  71,000  men)- vs.  Gen.  J.  C. 
Pemberton  (Confederate,  30,000  men).  The  entire  Con 
federate  force  was  surrendered  and  paroled,  after  a  siege 
which  began  in  completeness,  on  May  19  and  lasted  forty- 
five  days.  During  the  siege  and  the  preliminary  battles 
of  Port  Gibson  (May  1 — 4),  Champion's  Hills  (May  16) 
and  Big  Black  River  (May  17),  the  Union  loss  was  offi 
cially  reported  as  9,855  men,  of  whom  1,223  were  killed. 
The  total  Confederate  loss  in  the  same  time  was  about 
8,000  killed  and  wounded  and  35,000  taken  prisoners. 
The  surrender  of  Vicksburg  gave  to  the  Union  cause 
complete  control  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Delivered  on 
the  day  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  it  was  a  mortal 
blow  to  the  Confederacy.  This  victory,  largely  planned 
and  executed  by  General  Grant,  immediately  made  him 
the  foremost  Union  commander. 

July  5  (1801) — David  Glasgow  Farragut,  first  admiral 
163 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

of  the  United  States  Navy,  born  at  Campbell's  Station, 
Tenn.,  year  1801 ;  died  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  Aug.  14, 
1870;  was  buried  in  Woodlawn  cemetery,  New  York.  He 
was  the  chief  officer  of  the  Federal  navy  in  the  Civil 
War.  His  most  conspicuous  single  service  was  the  plan 
ning  and  executing  the  destruction  of  the  Confederate 
fleet  at  the  battle  of  Mobile  Bay  (Aug.  5,  1864). 

July  5  (1810) — Phineas  Taylor  Barnum,  founder  of 
the  modern  travelling  menagerie  and  circus,  born  at 
Bethel,  Conn.,  year  1810;  died  at  Bridgeport,  Conn., 
April  7,  1891.  He  brought  Jenny  Lind,  the  great  Swedish 
prima  donna  to  America  in  1850. 

July  6  (1747) — John  Paul  Jones,  naval  officer,  born 
at  Kirkbean,  Scotland,  1747;  died  at  Paris,  France,  July 
18,  1792.  The  most  famous  naval  commander  of  the 
American  Revolution.  (See  Sept.  23,  battle  of  Bonhomme 
Richard  and  Serapis.)  In  1788  he  retired  from  the 
American  service  and  was  made  a  rear  admiral  in  the 
Russian  navy.  He  served  one  campaign  against  the 
Turks,  and  died  soon  after.  British  writers  for  a  century 
called  him  a  "pirate"  and  an  "adventurer"  but  he  retains 
the  respect  and  admiration  of  professional  military  and 
naval  men  the  world  over.  The  coffin  containing  the 
body  was  discovered  in  the  old  St.  Louis  Cemetery  at 
Paris  by  U.  S.  Ambassador  Porter  on  April  14,  1905, 
where  it  had  lain  since  his  death  in  1792.  The  remains 
were  brought  from  France  to  the  United  States  in  the 
U.  S.  S.  Brooklyn  and  temporarily  placed  in  a  brick 
mausoleum  on  the  grounds  of  the  Naval  Academy  at 
Annapolis,  Md.,  on  July  26,  1905.  On  April  24,  1906, 
with  solemn  ceremonial,  participated  in  by  the  President 
and  naval  representatives  of  the  United  States  and 
France  and  thousands  of  citizens  from  all  parts  of  the 
country,  the  metallic  coffin  was  placed  in  a  crypt  in  Ban 
croft  Hall  of  the  Naval  Academy,  there  to  lie  until  the 
completion  of  the  chapel  in  which  it  would  rest — so  it 
was  intended,  throughout  future  ages  of  the  Republic. 

164 


JULY 

July  6  (1854) — The  present  Republican  party  was 
founded,  year  1854.  A  mass  convention  of  Whigs  and 
''Free  Soilers,"  the  call  for  which  was  signed  by  more 
than  10,000  voters  of  Michigan,  met  at  Jackson  in  that 
State,  organized  a  new  political  party  with  the  title 
"Republican  Party"  and  adopted  an  anti-slavery  plat 
form.  Two  years  later  the  party  held  its  first  national 
convention  and  nominated  John  C.  Fremont  for  Presi 
dent.  He  was  defeated  by  James  Buchanan. 

July  6  (1898) — Joint  resolution  of  Senate  and  House 
of  Representatives  providing  for  the  annexation  of 
Hawaii,  passed,  year  1898. 

July  7  (1865) — Mary  E.  Surratt  and  three  others, 
convicted  of  complicity  in  the  assassination  of  President 
Lincoln  were  hanged  at  Washington,  year  1865.  (See 
assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  April  14,  1865.) 

July  7  (1894) — Conflict  between  Illinois  militia  and 
striking  railway  workmen,  the  climax  of  a  great  railway 
strike ;  one  killed  and  twenty-nine  wounded,  year  1894. 

July  8  (1775) — Second  Continental  Congress  adopted 
the  second  petition  to  th«  King,  year  1775.  (See  May  10.) 

July  8  (1894)— President  Cleveland  declared  martial 
law  in  Chicago,  despite  the  protest  of  Governor  Altgeld 
of  Illinois,  who  asserted  that  the  State  of  Illinois  was 
competent  to  deal  with  the  strike  disorders  in  Chicago 
and  that  the  interference  of  the  Federal  government  was 
unconstitutional,  year  1894.  Federal  troops  were  posted 
in  Chicago  and  U.  S.  army  officers  were  ordered  to  safe 
guard  the  trains  carrying  U.  S.  mail.  This  was  the  first 
contest  of  this  kind  between  Federal  and  State  authority. 
(See  Birthday  of  Andrew  Jackson,  March  15,  and  "Nulli 
fication,"  Nov.  19.) 

July  9  (1755) — Battle  of  the  Monongahela  (or  Fort 
Duquesne,  now  Pittsburgh),  commonly  known  as  Brad- 
dock's  Defeat,  year  1755.  Maj.-Gen.  Edward  Braddock, 
commander-in-chief  of  the  British  forces  in  America  in 
the  French  and  Indian  War,  having  a  force  of  1,200 

165 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

British  regulars  and  1,000  colonial  militia,  was  disas 
trously  defeated  by  a  force  of  200  French  and  600  In 
dians  who  took  position  in  a  wood  and  fired  with  deadly 
effect  upon  the  advancing  army  of  Braddock.  Braddock 
fell  mortally  wounded,  and  fifty  of  his  officers  and  700 
soldiers  were  killed.  The  others  retreated  in  panic. 
George  Washington  was  serving  as  an  aide  to  Braddock 
with  the  rank  of  militia-colonel.  He  had  strongly  ad 
vised  Braddock  to  adopt  the  French  and  Indian  tactics 
and  fire  from  hidden  and  sheltered  positions  as  they  did, 
but  Braddock  treated  the  advice  with  contempt,  and  ad 
vanced  as  if  he  were  upon  an  open  plain  in  Flanders. 
It  was  entirely  owing  to  Washington  that  the  panic- 
stricken  force  was  saved  from  utter  destruction.  This 
battle  marked  Washington  as  a  military  leader,  and 
directly  led  to  his  appointment  as  commander-in-chief 
in  the  Revolution,  twenty-one  years  later. 

July  9  (1916) — The  German  submarine  Deutschland 
with  a  cargo  of  merchandise,  arrived  in  Chesapeake  Bay, 
after  a  voyage  of  sixteen  days  from  the  island  of  Heligo 
land  near  the  coast  of  Germany,  year  1916.  This  was 
the  first  submarine  to  make  the  voyage  from  Europe  to 
America  in  time  of  war  through  an  enemy  fleet,  and  the 
first  merchant  submarine  in  history  to  cross  the  Atlantic. 
The  boat  was  315  ft.  long  and  31  feet  beam.  She  pro 
ceeded  to  Baltimore,  where  her  cargo  was  unloaded.  On 
Aug.  1  .she  left  Baltimore  on  her  return  trip  laden  with 
a  valuable  cargo  of  rubber  and  metal,  and  again  passed 
safely  through  the  blockading  fleets  of  England  arid 
France,  arriving  at  the  mouth  of  the  Weser  River,  Ger 
many,  on  Aug.  23. 

July  10  (1821) — Flag  of  Spain  was  furled  and  the 
flag  of  United  States  hoisted  in  its  place  at  St.  Augustine, 
Fla.,  year  1821.  The.  purchase  of  Florida  had  been  made 
more  than  two  years  prior.  (See  Oct.  20.) 

July  10  (1890) — Wyoming  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1890.  Its  constitution  provided  that  women  should 

166 


JULY 

vote  and  hold  offices  equally  privileged  with  men.  It 
was  the  first  state  to  grant  women  suffrage  as  a  consti 
tutional  right. 

July  10  (1896) — William  Jennings  Bryan  at  the  Na 
tional  Convention  of  the  Democratic  Party  at  Chicago, 
in  1896,  in  the  course  of  debate  on  a  plank  of  the  proposed 
party  platform  dealing  with  the  "Silver  Question,"  de 
livered  a  speech  in  which  he  uttered  these  sentences : 
"You  shall  not  crush  down  upon  the  brow  of  labor  this 
crown  of  thorns!  You  shall  not  crucify  mankind  upon 
a  cross  of  gold!"  Bryan  had  not  been  an  open  candidate 
for  the  nomination  for  President,  but  this  speech  so  im 
pressed  the  convention  (numbering  about  1,000  dele 
gates)  that  he  was  nominated.  (See  March  19.) 

July  11  (1767) — John  Ouincy  Adams,  sixth  President 
of  the  United  States,  born  at  Braintree,  Mass.,  (the  son 
of  John  Adams,  second  President  of  the  United  States), 
year  1767;  died  at  Washington,  D.  C,  Feb.  23,  1848. 
Nominated  for  President  by  a  group  of  Democratic-Re 
publicans  (not  a  regular  party)  in  1824.  The  election 
resulted  in  the  following  count  of  electoral  votes  (24 
States)  :  Andrew  Jackson  99;  J.  Q.  Adams  84;  William 
C.  Crawford  41 ;  Henry  Clay  37.  No  candidate  having 
received  a  majority,  the  election  was  decided  by  the 
House  of  Representatives  and  Adams  was  chosen  on  the 
first  ballot.  He  was  inaugurated  March  4,  1825,  and 
served  four  years.  He  was  a  scholarly  man  and  a  brilliant 
orator.  In  his  later  life  he  came  to  be  known  as  the  "Old 
Man  Eloquent."  During  his  administration,  the  first 
railroads  were  begun. 

July  11  (1804) — Duel  between  Alexander  Hamilton 
and  Aaron  Burr  in  the  early  morning,  upon  the  heights 
above  the  Hudson  River  at  Weehawken,  N.  J.,  a  spot 
across  the  river  from  the  western  end  of  42nd  Street, 
New  York  (Manhattan),  year  1804.  Hamilton  fell  mor 
tally  wounded.  (See  Jan.  11  and  Feb.  6.) 

July  12  (1812) — Gen.  William  Hull,  commanding  an 
167 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

army  of  the  United  States,  began  the  invasion  of  Canada 
at  Sandwich,  near  Detroit,  year  1812.  The  expedition 
was  a  sorry  failure.  (See  Battle  of  Lake  Erie,  Sept.  10.) 

July  13  (1787) — Congress  passed  the  first  act  pro 
viding  for  the  government  of  territory  outside  the 
original  thirteen  colonies,  year  1787.  This  act  was  en 
titled  "An  ordinance  for  the  government  of  the  Western 
territory."  Under  it,  the  Northwest  Territory  was  or 
ganized. 

July  13  (1863)— Civil  War  Draft  Riots  in  New  York 
City  commenced,  year  1863.  The  rioting  lasted  day  and 
night  during  four  days.  About  1,000  persons  were  killed 
and  millions  worth  of  property  destroyed.  A  part  of  the 
populace,  led  by  men  who  opposed  the  administration  of 
President  Lincoln  and  sympathized  with  the  Confed 
eracy,  organized  a  violent  opposition  to  the  law  of  con 
scription  or  "draft"  which  compelled  all  men  citizens, 
chosen  by  lot  from  the  whole  list  of  eligible  citizens,  to 
serve  as  soldiers  in  the  Union  armies,  unless  regularly 
excused.  It  was  provided  that  any  man  chosen  might 
pay  $300  for  a  substitute,  and  thus  avoid  the  service.  Of 
course,  poor  men  could  not  hire  a  substitute,  and  this 
was  the  prime  cause  of  the  riots.  The  opposition  to  the 
law  failed  and  the  Union  armies  (and  also  the  Confed 
erate  armies)  were  recruited  almost  wholly  by  conscrip 
tion  during  the  last  twenty  months  of  the  Civil  War. 

July  13  (1866) — Steamship  Great  Eastern  steamed 
from  Valentia,  Ireland,  with  the  first  successful  Atlantic 
cable  on  board  (it  weighed  4,000  tons),  year  1866.  Leav 
ing  the  European  end  at  Valentia,  she  steamed  westward, 
the  cable  being  constantly  uncoiled  and  dropped  to  the 
bottom  of  the  Atlantic,  and  on  July  27,  after  fourteen 
days,  she  safely  entered  the  harbor  of  Heart's  Content, 
Newfoundland,  where  the  American  end  was  secured. 
The  length  of  this  cable  is  2,300  miles.  The  success  of 
the  project  was  largely  due  to  Cyrus  W.  Field  of  New 
York. 

168 


JULY 

July  14  (1853)— First  international  industrial  expo 
sition  or  "world's  fair"  in  America  opened  in  Crystal 
Palace,  New  York  (on  the  site  now  called  Bryant  Park 
at  Sixth  Avenue  and  42nd  St.),  year  1853.  It  was  formally 
opened  by  President  Franklin  Pierce. 

July  15  (1870) — Act  of  Congress  passed  readmitting 
Georgia,  the  last  of  the  eleven  States  of  the  Confederacy, 
into  the  Union.  This  Act  completed  what  is  known  as 
"Reconstruction." 

July  15  (1870) — Act  of  Congress  reducing  the  United 
States  Army  to  a  peace  footing — 25,000  men.  This  was 
the  final  act  bearing  upon  the  militarism  of  the  Civil  War. 

July  15  (1918)— Battle  of  Chateau-Thierry,  France, 
year  1918.  A  German  force,  on  this  date,  in  the  last  great 
German  offensive  of  the  war,  crossed  the  Marne  river  at 
and  near  this  town,  fifty  miles  E.  by  N.  of  Paris,  thrusting 
toward  Paris.  A  short  distance  south  of  the  Marne  they 
were  met  and  stopped  by  an  American  force,  largely  of 
the  U.  S.  Marine  Corps,  and  were  thrown  back  across  the 
river.  Chateau-Thierry  marks  the  high  tide  of  German 
success.  Thereafter  the  German  cause  receded  until  the 
end. 

July  16  (1779)— Capture  of  Stony  Point  (N.  Y.), 
year  1779.  The  British  had  fortified  this  high  hill  which 
juts  into  the  Hudson  River  below  West  Point.  Wash 
ington  planned  to  take  it  by  surprise  and  he  selected  Gen. 
Anthony  Wayne  and  1,200  picked  men  for  the  enterprise. 
The  British  garrison  numbered  about  600.  To  insure 
silence,  the  Americans  carried  no  gunpowder,  but  only 
bayonets  fixed  on  their  muskets  for  arms.  At  twenty 
minutes  past  midnight,  the  American  force  advanced 
swiftly  and  silently  against  two  sides  of  the  hill.  The 
British  garrison  was  aroused  and  poured  musketry  and 
grape  shot  into  the  darkness,  but  to  no  avail.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  Americans  had  stormed  into  the  fort  and 
overwhelmed  the  garrison.  The  British  loss  was  543 
made  prisoners  and  60  killed  and  wounded.  The  affair 

169 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

is  regarded  by  historians  as  the  most  brilliant  military 
action  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 

July  17  (1790) — Act  of  Congress  establishing  the 
District  of  Columbia  as  the  seat  of  government  of  the 
United  States  signed  by  President  Washington,  year 
1790. 

July  17  (1898) — Spanish  army  of  24,000  men  com 
manded  by  General  Toral,  occupying  the  city  of 
Santiago,  Cuba,  and  outlying  districts,  was  formally  sur 
rendered  to  General  Shafter  who  commanded  the  Ameri 
can  army  that  besieged  Santiago,  year  1898.  The  Ameri 
can  advance  on  Santiago  began  on  July  1  with  the  battles 
of  El  Caney  and  San  Juan. 

July  18  (1864) — Horace  Greeley  received  a  letter 
(year  1864)  from  George  N.  Sanders  of  Kentucky,  writ 
ten  from  Canada,  stating  that  he,  Sanders,  together  with 
Clement  C.  Clay  of  Alabama  and  James  P.  Holcombe  of 
Virginia,  as  representatives  of  the  Confederate  States  of 
America,  would  go  to  Washington  (from  Canada)  if  they 
would  be  accorded  protection,  and  open  negotiations  for 
the  purpose  of  ending  the  Civil  War.  Greeley  consulted 
President  Lincoln,  and  the  President  requested  him  to 
go  to  Niagara  Falls  and  personally  meet  the  Confederate 
mediators.  Greeley  did  so,  but  the  conference  came  to 
nothing,  for  Sanders  and  his  associates  did  not  have  full 
credentials  from  the  Confederate  government.  The  war 
continued  nine  months  longer.  This  was  one  of  the  im 
portant  incidents  of  the  Civil  War.  Greeley  in  a  letter 
to  President  Lincoln,  during  this  episode,  wrote:  "I  know 
that  nine-tenths  of  the  American  people,  North  and 
South,  are  anxious  for  peace — peace  on  almost  any  terms 
— and  are  utterly  sick  of  human  slaughter  and  devasta 
tion."  Greeley,  who  was  the  leader  of  the  radical  anti- 
slavery  element  of  the  North,  had  proposed  to  settle  the 
slavery  question  by  paying  the  slave  States  $400,000,000 
for  their  slaves,  who  were  to  be  liberated  in  that  way. 

July  19  (1848) — First  Woman's  Rights  convention  in 
the  United  States  "met  at  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.,  year  1848. 

170 


JULY 

It  lasted  two  days.  Lucretia  Mott,  a  Quaker  leader,  was 
the  leading  spirit,  seconded  by  Elizabeth  Cady  Stanton, 
a  woman  extraordinarily  gifted  as  an  orator.  This  date 
is  properly  the  great  anniversary  of  Women's  Suffrage  in 
America.  The  movement  was  formally  initiated  as  a 
national  question  at  this  convention. 

July  20  (1847)— "The  Bivouac  of  the  Dead,"  poem, 
was  first  read  by  its  author,  Col.  Theodore  O'Hara  of 
Danville,  Ky.,  at  Frankfort,  Ky.,  year  1847.  The  occasion 
was  the  burial  of  the  remains  of  Kentucky  soldiers  who 
fell  upon  the  battlefield  of  Buena  Vista,  Mexico,  in  Feb 
ruary  1847,  that  had  been  taken  up  and  brought  home  to 
the  cemetery  in  the  capital  of  their  native  State. 

July  20  (1861) — Congress  of  the  Confederate  States 
of  America  met  at  Richmond,  Va.,  the  new  capital,  hav 
ing  removed  from  Montgomery,  Ala.,  year  1861.  Howell 
Cobb  was  president  of  the  congress. 

BATTLE  OF  BULL  RUN 

July  21,  1861 

In  July,  1861,  three  months  after  the  beginning  of  the 
Civil  War,  a  Confederate  army  of  22,000  men  under  Gen. 
P.  G.  T.  Beauregard  was  encamped  along  the  southwest 
bank  of  Bull  Run,  near  its  source,  a  little  river  which 
rises  thirty-five  miles  west  of  Washington,  in  Virginia, 
and  empties  into  the  Potomac  below  Washington.  This 
army  was  holding  Manasses,  an  important  railway  junc 
tion.  Another  Confederate  army  of  11,000  men  under 
Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston  was  farther  west,  over  the  moun 
tains  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  at  Winchester,  about 
fifty  miles  away.  Railway  trains  could  carry  this  latter 
army  almost  the  entire  distance  to  Manasses. 

Opposing  Johnston's  army  at  Winchester  was  a  Union 
army  of  14,000  men  under  General  Robert  Patterson, 
which  would  have  to  march  the  distance  to  Manasses  if 
it  became  necessary  to  concentrate  the  Union  forces  at 
Manasses,  for  the  Confederates  held  the  railroad.  As  it 

171 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

turned  out  later,  Johnston's  Confederates  were  able  to 
quickly  join  their  comrades  before  the  battle  near  Man- 
asses,  while  Patterson's  men  did  not  go  to  the  aid  of  the 
Union  forces  at  Bull  Run.  The  event  of  the  battle  was 
largely  due  to  this  fact. 

At  Washington  was  assembled  a  Union  army  of 
55,000  men  under  Gen.  Irwin  McDowell.  In  numbers  it 
was  the  greatest  army  ever  organized  in  America  up  to 
that  time.  But  in  fact,  it  was  badly  organized,  badly  sup 
plied,  and  the  men  were  mostly  militia  of  little  training, 
and  lacking  the  hardy  readiness  of  the  volunteers  of  earlier 
years.  Notwithstanding,  the  civilian  popular  leaders  of 
the  North,  notably  Horace  Greeley,  demanded  that  this 
army  go  out  and  fight  at  once  and  put  down  the  Rebel 
lion.  They  believed  the  war  could  be  ended  within  four 
months  after  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sutnter. 

At  last  Lincoln  yielded,  and  ordered  McDowell  to 
start  an  offensive.  On  July  16,  McDowell  began  his 
march  to  Manasses,  a  distance  of  thirty  miles,  with  35,000 
men.  His  soldiers  carried  thr^e-days  rations  in  their  knap 
sacks.  They  marched  under  a  hot  sun  over  dusty  roads. 
Most  of  the  men  wore  their  ordinary  civilian  shoes  in 
which  they  had  left  home,  and  many  of  the  officers  wore 
fashionable  calfskin  boots,  nice  looking  in  parades 
through  city  streets,  but  useless  in  war.  The  War  De 
partment  had  no  equipment  of  proper  marching  shoes. 
As  a  result,  McDowell's  entire  army  was  footsore  at  the 
end  of  the  first  day's  march,  and  a  large  number  were 
actually  lame.  Nevertheless  the  march  was  resumed  next 
morning  and  at  nightfall  the  army  arrived  near  Manasses 
and  took  position,  out  of  cannon  range,  facing  the  Con 
federates  who  were  on  the  opposite  side  of  Bull  Run. 
Here  they  rested. 

Meanwhile,  Johnston  was  outwitting  Patterson.  On 
July  18,  Johnston  quietly  left  Winchester  with  8,000  men, 
took  train  and  joined  Beauregard  on  Saturday,  July  20. 
As  a  mask,  3,000  Confederates  remained  at  Winchester, 
holding  Patterson's  army  The  3,000  followed  Johnston  a 

172 


JULY 

clay  later.  But  Patterson's  Union  army  did  not  march 
after  them.  Johnston  assumed  command  of  the  united 
Confederate  army. 

Through  coincident  misconceptions,  McDowell 
planned  to  whip  Beauregard  before  Johnston  arrived,  and 
at  the  same  time  Johnston  and  Beauregard  schemed  to 
strike  McDowell's  left  wing  and  whip  him  before  Patter 
son  could  arrive — for  the  Confederates  supposed  that  Pat 
terson,  of  course,  would  hurry  and  join  McDowell.  And 
both  sides  prepared  to  attack  early  in  the  morning  of  Sun 
day,  July  21.  Each  army  numbered  about  30,000  effective 
men. 

There  was  but  one  bridge  over  Bull  Run — a  stoiae 
bridge  on  the  Warrington  turnpike.  In  the  six  miles  of 
Confederate  front  there  were  half  a  dozen  fords  through 
which  soldiers  might  wade  through  the  river. 

McDowell,  using  fine  strategy,  planned  a  feint  attack 
at  the  stone  bridge,  while  the  flower  of  his  army,  12,000 
men  under  Generals  Hunter  and  Heintzelman,  left  at  mid 
night  of  Saturday  and  marched  circuitously  far  up  Bull 
Run,  to  cross  at  an  unguarded  ford  and  then  sweep  down 
on  the  Confederate  left  flank.  At  the  same  time,  Johnston 
had  a  strong  body  ready  to  cross  and  attack  McDowell's 
left  flank  at  a  point  eight  miles  from  where  Hunter  and 
Heintzelman  would  cross. 

McDowell  got  the  start.  His  troops  crossed  Bull 
Run  in  the  early  morning,  before  Johnston's  men  began 
their  movement.  The  Confederate  commanders  were  in 
tent  on  their  own  movement,  with  eyes  fixed  eastward, 
when  they  were  startled  by  the  booming  of  cannon  far  to 
the  northwest  and  in  their  rear.  Instantly  they  changed 
plan  and  ordered  their  brigades  to  face  northward  to  meet 
the  enemy  that  had  surprised  them. 

On  came  the  12,000  Federals  under  Hunter.  Like 
chaff  the  Confederate  left  was  swept  away.  The  Federals 
seemed  likely  to  crumble  up  the  whole  Confederate  line. 
But  just  then  a  man  rose  up  among  the  Confederates  to 
save  their  army  and  immortalize  his  name — Gen.  Thomas 

173 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

].  Jackson.  His  brigade  of  five  regiments,  3,000  men,  was 
from  the  mountains  of  Virginia,  most  of  them  of  Scotch- 
Irish  ancestry.  Jackson  had  been  ordered  to  the  Warring- 
ton  stone  bridge  in  anticipation  of  a  strong  Federal  at 
tempt  to  cross,  there.  He  heard  the  battle  sounds  on  his 
left.  Without  waiting  for  orders  he  turned  his  men  to 
ward  the  new  battle  and  swiftly  they  pressed  up  the  hill — 
the  famous  Henry  Hill,  and  at  the  top,  on  a  plateau,  Jack 
son  formed  his  men  to  meet  the  Federal  advance  which 
was  on  the  high  ground  over  across  a  valley  and  coming 
to  seize  that  hill  which  was  the  strongest  position  of  the 
battlefield.  His  men  settled  down  low  and  silent  to  await 
the  Federal  charge.  At  this  moment,  another  Confederate 
officer,  General  Bee,  whose  brigade  was  broken  and  flee 
ing,  stood  and  watched  with  admiration  that  line  of  3,000 
men.  Then  he  turned  and  galloped  to  the  disorderly  mass 
of  his  own  companies  and  shouted,  "Look!  There  is  Jack 
son  standing*  like  a  stone  wall !  Rally  behind  the  Vir 
ginians."  From  that  moment  the  stern,  silent  commander 
of  those  Virginians,  perhaps  the  most  perfect  soldier  of 
America,  was  known  as  "Stonewall"  Jackson. 

The  triumphant  Federals  advanced  adown  the  slope 
to  the  valley,  and  stopped.  Above  them  upon  the  Henry 
Hill  they  saw  that  gray  line  of  Jackson's  men.  It  was  the 
hour  of  noon  and  they  had  been  marching  and  fighting 
twelve  hours.  They  were  tired.  Their  officers  were  con 
fident  of  victory.  Indeed,  the  news  had  already  been  sent 
to  Washington  that  a  great  Union  victory  had  been  won. 
So  they  decided  to  rest.  They  lay  down,  there  in  the  val 
ley,  and  rested  two  and  a  half  hours.  Maybe  that  was  a 
mistake,  for  Johnston,  during  that  twojhours  and  a  half 
strove  desperately  to  retrieve  the  battle.  Brigades  were 
moved  up  to  the  right  and  left  of  Jackson.  Every  minute 
the  new  Confederate  position  grew  stronger. 

At  2  :30  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Federal  advance 
was  resumed.  They  charged  up  the  hill.  No  fiercer 
struggle  than  this  one  at  the  Henry  Hill  is  recorded  in  the 
history  of  the  Civil  War.  "Stonewall"  Jackson  ordered : 

174 


JULY 

"Reserve  your  fire  till  they  come  within  fifty  yards,  then 
fire  and  give  them  the  bayonet,  and  when  you  charge,  yell 
like  furies." 

Then  for  the  first  time  in  that  war  was  heard  the 
"rebel  yell,"  when  1,900  of  Jackson's  men  sprang  forward 
with  bayonets.  Backward  down  the  hill  went  the  Fed 
eral  brigade.  But  again  they  stormed. up,  again  and  again. 
And  then,  when  the  battle  was  still  in  the  balance,  the 
rest  of  Johnston's  army  from  Winchester  came  upon  the 
field — 3,000  men.  Suddenly  General  Early's  brigade  of 
Confederates,  fresh  and  strong,  burst  out  of  the  woods 
in  the  rear  of  the  Federal  right,  a  dire  surprise  to  the 
exhausted  Union  men.  Instantly  panic  began  with  the 
cry,  "Johnston's  army  has  come.  We  are  beaten !"  With 
fearful  swiftness  the  cry  rolled  through  the  Union  masses. 
Thus  the  battle  suddenly  ended. 

Backward  by  road  and  wood  path,  across  fields  and 
ditches,  the  Federals  retreated,  each  minute  terror  and 
disorganization  smashing  the  army  that  had  so  nearly 
won  a  victory.  Many  ran  at  full  speed ;  others  staggered 
desperately;  all  went  over  Bull  Run  in  rout  and  all  that 
night  thousands  kept  on  retreating  in  terror,  though  no 
enemy  pursued.  Back  they  fled  to  the  intrenchments  at 
Arlington  and  Alexandria. 

The  name  Bull  Run  marks  the  most  disastrous  de 
feat  the  military  forces  of  the  United  States  ever  suffered. 

The  Union  loss  was  481  men  killed,  1,011  wounded 
and  1,460  prisoners. 

The  Confederates  reported  a  loss  of  387  killed  and 
1,582  wounded. 

As  the  story  of  Bull  Run  is  told,  even  to-day  in  cities 
and  towns  of  the  South,  they  say  truly,  "It  was  'Stone 
wall'  Jackson's  fight!" 

July  22  (1890)— Patent  for  color  photography 
granted  to  Frederick  E.  Ives  (born  at  Litchfield,  Conn., 
Feb.  17,  1856),  the  inventor,  year  1890. 

175 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

July  23  (1885)— U.  S.  Grant  died  at  Mount  Mc 
Gregor,  near  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  year  1885.  (See  Birthday 
of  U.  S.  Grant,  April  27.) 

July  24  (1847) — Brigham  Young,  leading  a  company 
of  Mormons  numbering  143  men,  two  women  and  two 
children,  entered  Great  Salt  Lake  valley  and  founded 
Utah  at  Salt  Lake  City,  year  1847.  The  anniversary  is 
celebrated  in  Utah  as  "Pioneer's  Day,"  a  legal  holiday. 

July  24  (1896) — First  national  convention  of  the 
People's  Party  ("Populists")  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  year  1896. 
William  J.  Bryan  was  nominated  for  President  and 
Thomas  E.  Watson  of  Georgia  for  Vice-President. 

July  25  (1814)— Battle  of  Lundy's  Lane  (near  Ni 
agara  Falls  on  the  Canadian  side),  year  1814.  Gen.  Jacob 
Brown  (American,  3,000  men)  vs.  Gen.  Sir  George  Gor 
don  Drummond  (British,  4,500  men).  A  drawn  battle; 
victory  was  claimed  by  both  sides.  The  advantage  later 
went  to  the  British  who  took  possession  of  the  battle 
field.  American  loss  852  killed,  wounded  and  missing. 
British  loss,  878.  Excepting  the  Battle  of  New  Orleans, 
this  was  the  bloodiest  battle  of  the  War  of  1812. 

July  25  (1891) — Smokeless  powder  first  used  by  the 
War  Department  of  the  United  States,  year  1891.  The 
occasion  was  an  experiment  at  the  gun  proving  grounds 
of  Sandy  Hook,  N.  J. 

July  26  (1758) — Louisburg,  a  French  fortress  upon 
the  Island  of  Cape  Breton,  Can.,  captured  by  a  land  force 
of  12,000  men  (New  England  militia  and  British  regu 
lars)  and  a  fleet  of  forty  ships,  after  a  siege  of  fifty  days, 
year  1758  (French  and  Indian  War).  The  French  garri 
son  lost  1,500  men,  killed  and  wounded  and  5,000  were 
made  prisoners.  The  British  'commander  was  General 
Sir  JefTrey  Amherst  aided  by  Gen.  James  Wolfe.  The 
capture  of  this  fortress  gave  to  England  all  the  region  of 
the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  and  it  has  since  remained  in  her 
possession.  After  the  capture  of  the  fortress,  6,000 

176 


JULY 

French  settlers,  called  "Acadians,"  were  forcibly  taken 
from  their  homes  and  transported  to  the  various  English 
colonies,  along  the  entire  Atlantic  coast  and  their  lands 
given  to  English  settlers.  This  dispersal  of  these  people 
was  the  theme  of  Longfellow's  poem  "Evangeline." 

July  26  (1759) — Ticonderoga,  N.  Y.,  a  strong  French 
fortress,  abandoned  to  the  British,  year  1759. 

July  27  (1915) — First  direct  wireless  telegraph  com 
munication  between  the  United  States  and  Japan  estab 
lished,  year  1915. 

July  28  (1862) — First  official  railway  mail  car  trial, 
year  1862.  The  scheme  was  invented  by  William  A. 
Davis,  postmaster  of  St.  Joseph,  Mo.  The  first  mail  car 
was  improvised  out  of  an  ordinary  baggage  coach ;  pigeon 
holes  and  baggage  pouches  were  arranged  in  it.  The 
run  was  from  Hannibal,  Mo.,  to  St.  Joseph  on  the  Hanni 
bal  &  St.  Joseph  Ry.  It  was  an  immediate  success  and 
the  idea  was  at  once  adopted  for  all  trunk  railroads. 
Montgomery  Blair  of  Missouri  was  at  that  time  post 
master  general  in  President  Lincoln's  cabinet. 

July  29  (1868)— Fourteenth  Amendment  to  the  Con 
stitution  proclaimed  by  President  Johnson,  year  1868. 
It  is  known  as  the  "Reconstruction  Amendment."  It  had 
been  ratified  by  twenty-three  Northern  States.  It  was 
rejected  by  Delaware,  Kentucky,  Maryland  and  ten 
Confederate  States.  California  did  not  take  any  action. 
Subsequently,  under  pressure  by  the  "reconstruction" 
State  administrations,  the  ten  Southern  States  ratified, 
thus  giving  more  than  the  required  three-fourths  in  favor 
of  the  amendment. 

July  30  (1619) — Twenty-two  "burgesses"  elected 
from  the  settlements  of  Virginia,  met  in  the  church  at 
Jamestown,  Va.,  and  drew  up  a  code  of  laws  for  the 
colony  of  Virginia,  year  1619.  This  was  the  first  colonial 
legislative  assembly  in  America. 

177 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

July  31  (1667)— Treaty  of  Breda,  Holland,  signed  by 
representatives  of  England,  France,  Holland  and  Den 
mark,  year  1667.  Acadia  (Nova  Scotia)  was  given  to 
France,  and  New  York  and  New  Jersey  were  confirmed 
to  England. 


178 


AUGUST 

August  1  (1790) — First  National  census  was  begun, 
year  1790. 

Aug.  1  (1873) — First  cable  street  car  in  the  world 
operated  at  San  Francisco,  year  1873.  The  inventor  of 
the  cable  system  was  Andrew  Hallidie.  The  system  was 
introduced  in  Chicago  in  1881,  New  York  and  Phila 
delphia  in  1883,  London  in  1884. 

Aug.  1  (1876) — Colorado  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1876. 

Aug.  2  (1858) — The  Lecompton  Constitution — so 
named  from  a  town  in  Kansas  where  the  pro-slavery 
party  met  in  1857  and  drew  up  the  document,  was  rejected 
.  by  the  people  of  Kansas  at  a  special  election,  year  1858. 
This  constitution  contained  a  clause  which  provided  that 
"the  rights  of  property  in  slaves  now  in  the  Territory 
shall  in  no  manner  be  interfered  with."  The  verdict  of 
the  people  at  this  election  was  ignored  by  President 
Buchanan  and  the  Democratic  majority  in  Congress,  who 
so  hastened  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War. 

Aug.  3  (1492) — Christopher  Columbus  sailed  from 
Palos,  Spain,  on  his  first  voyage  to  America,  year  1492. 
(See  Discovery  of  America,  Oct.  12.) 

Aug.  4  (1759) — Crown  Point,  N.  Y.,  strong  French 
fortress,  abandoned  to  British  under  Gen.  Amherst,  year 
1759. 

Aug.  4  (1781) — Isaac  Hayne  hanged  by  order  of  the 
British  commandant  Lord  Rawdon  at  Charleston,  S.  C., 
year  1781.  He  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  South  Caro 
lina.  He  had  served  in  the  American  army  at  the  siege 
of  Charleston  in  May  1780  and  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  British.  He  signed  a  paper  declaring  that  he  would 
not  again  take  up  arms  against  Great  Britain,  stipulating 
that  he  should  not  be  called  to  bear  arms  in  support  of 
Great  Britain  in  the  war.  Later,  he  was  summoned  to 

179 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Charleston  to  join  the  British  army.  Instead,  he  joined 
the  American  army,  believing  that  his  parole  agreement 
had  been  violated  by  the  British.  Thereupon  the  British 
made  extraordinary  efforts  to  capture  him  and  did  so. 
He  was  condemned  and  executed  without  even  a  formal 
show  of  trial.  The  incident  aroused  fierce  indignation 
among  the  Americans  of  the  South  and  directly  contrib 
uted  to  the  ultimate  defeat  of  the  British  in  the  Caro- 
linas,  later  in  that  year,  1781. 

Aug.  5  (1864)— Battle  of  Mobile  Bay,  year  1864. 
Admiral  Farragut  in  command  of  the  Union  fleet  of 
twenty-one  wooden  vessels  and  four  ironclads  (moni 
tors),  attacked  the  two  strong  forts  Fort  Morgan  and 
Fort  Gaines  that  guarded  the  entrance  to  Mobile  Bay, 
ran  through  the  channel  which  had  been  planted  with 
torpedo  mines,  and  engaged  and  destroyed  the  Confed 
erate  naval  force  of  four  ships  inside.  The  battle  was 
one  of  the  most  romantic  in  American  history.  Farragut 
had  himself  lashed  to  the  dhrouds  (rigging)  of  his  flag 
ship  Hartford,  exposed  to  a  storm  of  iron  from  the  forts. 
The,  U.  S.  S.  Brooklyn,  directly  in  front  of  the  Hartford, 
stopped.  Farragut  signalled,  "What's  the  matter?"  The 
answer  came,  "Tell  the  admiral  there  is  a  heavy  line  of 
torpedoes  ahead."  Farragut  shouted,  "D — n  the  tor 
pedoes  !  D — n  the  torpedoes !  Go  ahead,  Captain  Dray- 
ton!  Four  Bells!"  and  the  Hartford,  taking  the  lead, 
steamed  at  full  speed  ahead  over  the  torpedoes,  which 
did  not  harm  her.  The  chief  Confederate  vessel  was  the 
iron  clad  ram  Tennessee,  commanded  by  Admiral  Frank 
Buchanan.  This  ship  boldly  went  forward  and  attacked 
the  Union  fleet  aided  only  by  three  small  gunboats.  At 
one  time,  the  Tennessee  was  alone  surrounded  by  seven 
Union  ships,  three  of  them  ramming  her,  yet  she  con 
tinued  the  battle,  until  utterly  disabled,  when  she  sur 
rendered.  The  defense  of  this  vessel  by  the  Confederates 
was  one  of  the  most  glorious  in  the  history  of  American 
wars.  The  first  gun  in  the  battle  was  fired  at  6 :47  a.  m. 

180 


AUGUST 

The  Confederate  flagship  Tennessee  surrendered  at  10 
a.  m.  The  Union  loss  was  52  killed  and  170  wounded. 
The  Confederate  loss  was  12  killed,  20  wounded  and  280 
taken  prisoners. 

Aug.  6  (1777) — Battle  of  Oriskany,  the  strangest 
and  bloodiest  battle  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  A  force 
of  British,  Canadians  and  Indians  under  Colonel  St.  Leger 
laid  siege  to  Fort  Stanwix  (near  what  is  now  Rome, 
N.  Y.)  on  Aug.  3,  1777.  Eight  hundred  American  settlers 
under  Gen.  Nicholas  Herkimer  marched  to  relieve  the 
fort.  St.  Leger  sent  a  strong  detachment  of  British 
regulars  and  Mohawk  Indians  to  cut  them  off.  The 
British  force  prepared  an  ambuscade  at  Oriskany,  near 
what  is  now  Utica,  and  Herkimer's  men  marched  into  it. 
The  Indians  suddenly  burst  upon  the  Americans.  Man 
to  man  they  fought  in  the  woods,  a  veritable  butchery. 
An  August  thunder  storm  broke  above  the  battle.  The 
sky  was  black  as  night,  lightning  ripped  sky  and  forest, 
rain  fell  in  torrents  and  wet  the  muskets  and  powder,  yet 
the  battle  mad  humans  did  not  cease,  but  closed  together 
with  knives,  bayonets,  hatchets  and  clubs  in  the  climax  of 
this  infernal  fight,  until  the  Indians,  disheartened  by  the 
great  numbers  of  their  own  dead,  fled  in  all  directions. 
The  Tories  immediately  retreated  and  rejoined  St. 
Leger's  main  body.  Herkimer's  force  had  lost  an  appall 
ing  number  and  was  in  no  condition  to  pursue.  It  is  esti 
mated  that  500  men  fell  in  this  battle,  more  than  a  quar 
ter  of  the  total  engaged,  and  it  lasted  but  two  hours. 
General  Herkimer  was  wounded  and  died  a  few  days 
later.  (See  Saratoga,  Oct.  7,  1777.) 

Aug.  6  (1812)— Surrender  of  Detroit  by  Gen.  Wil 
liam  Hull  (American,  800  men)  to  Gen.  Sir  Isaac  Brock 
(British,  730  whites  and  600  Indians),  year  1812.  Gen. 
Hull  after  his  release  by  the  British,  eight  months  later, 
was  courtmartialed  by  the  American  military  authorities, 
found  guilty  of  cowardice  and  neglect  of  duty  and  sen 
tenced  to  be  shot.  President  Madison  moderated  the 

181 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

sentence  and  Hull  was  allowed  to  go  free,  being  dis 
missed  from  the  army.  After  many  years,  he  was  par 
tially  exonerated.  It  is  now  believed  by  fair  minded 
historians  that  a  great  injustice  was  done  him,  and  that 
Detroit  was  surrendered  because  of  misunderstandings 
for  which  he  was  not  entirely  to  blame. 

Aug.  7  (1742) — Gen.  Nathanael  Greene,  American 
soldier  of  the  Revolution,  born  at  Patowomut,  Rhode 
Island,  year  1742;  died  at  or  near  Savannah,  Ga.,  in  1786 
His  burial  place  was  unknown  for  a  century,  and  then 
was  discovered  at  Savannah,  where  his  tomb  is  now  a 
shrine  of  American  history.  His  father  was  a  Quaker 
preacher.  He  is  generally  regarded  as  the  ablest  military 
officer  of  the  Revolution  under  Washington.  (See  York- 
town,  Oct.  19.) 

Aug.  7  (1789)— U.  S.  Department  of  War  and  De 
partment  of  the  Navy  organized  by  Congress,  year  1789. 

Aug.  7  (1791) — George  Hammond,  first  minister  of 
Great  Britain  to  the  United  States,  was  appointed,  year 
1791. 

Aug.  7  (1912) — First  national  convention  of  the 
Progressive  Party,  at  Chicago,  nominated  Theodore 
Roosevelt  for  President  and  Hiram  Johnson  of  California 
for  Vice-President. 

Aug.  8  (1829) — First  Locomotive  run  in  the  United 
States,  year  1829.  It  was  named  "The  Stourb ridge  Lion" 
and  was  one  of  four  built  in  England  and  shipped  to 
America  for  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal  Ry.  Co. 
The  trial  was  at  Honesdale,  Pa.  The  rails  were  made  of 
timber.  Horatio  Allen,  civil  engineer,  alone  in  the  loco 
motive,  ran  it  three  miles  through '  the  Pennsylvania 
woods. 

Aug.  8  (1846)—  "Wilmot  Proviso"  adopted  by  the 
House  of  Representatives  at  Washington,  year  1846. 
While  the  war  with  Mexico  was  waging,  it  was  proposed 
in  Congress  that  President  Polk  be  authorized  to  expend 

182 


AUGUST 

$3,000,000  for  the  purchase  of  territory  from  Mexico, 
thereby  ending  the  war.  While  this  bill  was  pending, 
David  Wilmot,  a  congressman  from  Pennsylvania,  moved 
the  following  amendment  to  the  Mexican  purchase  bill : 
"That,  as  an  express  and  fundamental  condition  to  the 
acquisition  of  any  territory  from  the  Republic  of  Mexico 
by  the  United  States,  neither  slavery  nor  involuntary 
servitude  shall  ever  exist  in  any  part  of  said  territory." 
This  amendment  became  known  as  the  "Wilmot  Pro 
viso."  It  failed  to  pass  the  Senate.  It  aroused  the  coun 
try  and,  in  1848,  became  the  basic  plank  in  the  platform 
of  the  newly  organized  Free  Soil  Party.  The  Republican 
party,  at  its  first  national  convention  in  1856,  also  adopted 
the  Wilmot  principle. 

Aug.  8  (1854) — Horace  Smith  and  Daniel  B.  Wesson 
under  the  firm  name  of  Smith  &  Wesson,  patented  the 
breech-loading  metallic  cartridge  and  center  fire,  year 
1854.  At  first  the  metallic  cartridge  was  used  only  in 
pistols  and  the  Civil  War  (1861-1865)  was  fought  on  both 
sides  almost  entirely  with  muzzle-loading  rifles  and 
paper  cartridges. 

Aug.  9  (1642) — First  commencement  of  Harvard 
College,  year  1642.  A  class  of  nine  was  graduated. 
Henry  Dunster  was  the  first  president.  The  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts  in  December,  1636,  took  the  first 
steps  toward  founding  a  school  or  college  for  the  colony. 
In  1637  it  was  decided  to  locate  the  institution  at  New- 
town  (Cambridge).  In  1638,  Rev.  John  Harvard,  a  non 
conformist  minister,  had  lately  arrived  in  Massachusetts. 
His  health  failing  and  feeling  death  approaching,  he  be 
queathed  half  his  estate — about  $3,700 — to  the  erection 
of  a  college  building,  and  his  library  of  320  volumes  to  be 
placed  in  it.  He  died  Sept.  26,  1638.  Immediately,  from 
his  bequest,  the  college  building  was  begun  and  the  first 
class  entered  in  December  of  the  same  year.  Also  that 
same  year,  the  General  Court  organized  the  institution 
and  named  it  "Harvard  College." 

183 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Aug.  10  (1821) — Missouri  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1821. 

Aug.  10  (1846) — Smithsonian  Institution  at  Wash 
ington,  founded,  year  1846.  The  founder  was  James 
Smithson,  an  Englishman,  who  bequeathed  his  property 
amounting  to  $575,000  in  the  event  of  his  nephew  dying 
childless,  to  the  United  States  "for  the  purpose  of  found 
ing  an  institution  at  Washington  to  be  called  the  Smith 
sonian  institution  for  the  increase  and  diffusion  of  knowl 
edge  among  men."  The  bequest  was  accepted  by  Con 
gress  in  1836.  The  property  was  secured,  after  a  suit  in 
chancery,  in  1838. 

Aug.  10  (1861)— Battle  of  Wilson's  Creek,  Mo.,  year 
1861.  Most  important  battle  of  the  Civil  War  in  Mis 
souri.  Gen.  Nathaniel  Lyon  (Union,  5,000  men)  vs.  Gen. 
Sterling  Price  and  Gen.  Ben  McCulloch  (Confederate, 
10,000  men).  A  drawn  battle.  The  Union  force  later 
retreated.  Gen.  Lyon  was  killed.  Union  loss,  223  killed, 
1,011  wounded,  1,460  missing- — total  2,694.  Confederate 
loss  estimated  at  1,800. 

Aug.  11  (1833) — Robert  Green  Ingersoll,  lawyer, 
orator  and  lecturer,  born  at  Dresden,  N.  Y.,  year  1833 ; 
died  at  New  York,  July  21,  1899.  He  is  best  known  as  a 
religious  agnostic.  His  first  lecture,  "Some  Mistakes  of 
Moses,"  a  criticism  of  the  Old  Testament,  aroused  im 
mense  interest  throughout  the  country  in  the  decade 
1880-1890. 

Aug.  12  (1676)— Death  of  "King"  Philip,  chief  of  the 
Indian  tribe  of  Wampanoags,  and  end  of  the  first  great 
war  of  a  confederacy  of  Indians  against  the  white  settlers 
of  New  England.  He  was  shot  by  a  renegade  Indian  of 
his  own  tribe  at  Mount  Hope,  R.  I.,  year  1676.  He  was 
the  most  conspicuous  Indian  in  the  history  of  New  Eng 
land. 

Aug.  12  (1851) — Patents  granted  on  the  same  day 
to  two  inventors  of  sewing  machines,  Isaac  M.  Singer 

184 


AUGUST 

and  Allen  B'enjamin  Wilson,  year  1851.    These  machines 
are  known  as  the  "Singer"  and  the  "Wheeler  &  Wilson." 

Aug.  12  (1892) — First  patent  for  wireless  telephone, 
issued  to  the  inventor,  Reginald  A.  Fessendon,  year  1892. 

Aug.  12  (1898) — Hawaii  formally  annexed  to  the 
United  States,  year  1898. 

Aug.  12  (1898) — Protocol  signed  ending  hostilities 
between  the  United  States  and  Spain,  year  1898. 

Aug.  13  (1890)— The  People's  Party  (Populists) 
held  its  first  State  convention,  in  Kansas,  1890. 

Aug.  13  (1898) — City  of  Manila,  Philippine  Islands, 
surrendered  by  the  Spanish  captain  general  to  the  Ameri 
can  army  commanded  by  Gen.  Wesley  M.  Merritt  after 
an  assault  by  the  land  force  and  a  bombardment  by  the 
American  fleet  under  Admiral  Dewey,  year  1898.  The 
American  land  force  numbered  8,500  men.  The  Spanish 
garrison  numbered  13,000.  This  was  the  last  military 
action  of  the  Spanish  War.  On  Aug.  16,  General  Merritt 
received  a  cablegram  from  President  McKinley  announc 
ing  the  cessation  of  hostilities. 

Aug.  14  (1900)— An  international  army  of  30,000 
men  composed  of  divisions  from  the  United  States,  Great 
Britain,  France,  Germany,  Russia  and  Japan,  after  a 
march  of  100  miles  from  Tientsin  entered  Peking,  the 
capital  of  China  and  saved  the  lives  of  800  foreigners 
(Europeans,  Americans  and  Japanese)  and  2,200  Chinese 
converts  to  Christianity  who  had  been  besieged  for  forty- 
five  days  by  a  Chinese  army  of  "Boxer"  rebels,  year 
1900.  The  American  division  numbered  6,000  men,  under 
Gen.  Adna  R.  Chaffee.  The  "Boxers"  were  a  Chinese 
secret  society  organized  to  exterminate  all  foreigners  in 
China  and  abolish  all  foreign  influence  in  Chinese  terri 
tory.  The  expedition  resulted  in  the  crushing  of  the 
Boxer  movement.  China  was  forced  to  open  the  door  to 
all  civilized  nations  upon  practically  the  same  conditions 
that  then  obtained  among  the  nations  of  Europe  and 
America. 

185 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Aug.  15  (1893) — Bering  Sea  controversy  with  Great 
Britain  was  ended  by  the  court  of  arbitration  which  met 
at  Paris,  France,  year  1893.  The  dispute  began  in  1886, 
when  Canadian  seal  hunters  in  their  ships  intercepted 
the  seals  as  they  made  their  annual  migration  to  their 
breeding  grounds  on  the  Pribylov  Islands,  Alaska.  This 
practice  grew,  and  the  killing  of  the  seals  for  their  furs 
was  so  ruthlessly  carried  on  that  the  extinction  of  the 
species  was  threatened.  Finally,  after  much  diplomatic 
correspondence  the  two  governments  each  selected  com 
missioners  of  arbitration.  John  W.  Foster  argued  the 
case  for  the  United  States.  The  court  denied  that  the 
United  States  had  a  right  to  close  the  sea  against  other 
nations,  but  it  adopted  regulations  forbidding  the  killing 
of  seals  within  fifty  miles  of  the  Pribylov  Islands,  and 
forbade  killing  of  seals  in  all  the  outside  sea  during  the 
annual  period,  May  1  to  July  31.  The  incident  is  chiefly 
significant  because  it  illustrates  the  first  important 
triumph  of  the  principle  of  arbitration  of  national  dis 
putes. 

Aug.  15  (1914) — Panama  Canal  opened,  year  1914. 
Two  days  prior  to  this,  on  Aug.  13,  the  steamship  Chris- 
tobal,  commanded  by  Captain  Skillings,  in  the  service  of 
the  U.  S.  government,  passed  through  the  canal,  in  both 
directions,  on  a  testing  trip.  This  was  the  first  actual 
passage  of  a  large  steamship.  On  Aug.  15  the  canal  was 
opened  to  the  world.  The  first  passage  after  the  declared 
opening  was  made  by  the  steamship  Ancon  of  the  Pan 
ama  Railroad  service.  On  board  were  Col.  George  W. 
Goethals,  the  governor  of  the  Canal  Zone,  President 
Belisario  Porras  of  the  Republic  of  Panama,  and  other 
officials.  The  Ancon  was  commanded  by  Capt.  G.  E. 
Sukeforth.  The  time  of  the  passage,  from  Christobal  at 
the  Atlantic  end  to  Balboa  at  the  Pacific  end,  was  nine 
hours.  The  cost  of  the  canal  proper,  exclusive  of  forti 
fications,  civil  government  and  payments  to  the  Republic 
of  Panama,  was  approximately  $357,000,000.  The  work 

186 


AUGUST 

was  begun  in  May,  1905,  and  continued  incessantly  nine 
years.  (See  April  3.) 

Aug.  16  (1777) — Battle  of  Bennington,  Vt.,  year 
1777.  (See  Saratoga,  Oct.  7.) 

Aug.  16  (1780)— Battle  of  Camden,  S.  C,  year  1780. 
Overwhelming  British  victory  over  Americans.  Lord 
Cornwallis  (British,  2,100  men)  vs.  Gen.  Horatio  Gates 
(American,  3,000  men).  British  loss,  500  in  killed  and 
wounded;  American  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  is  not 
known.  The  American  army  was  practically  destroyed  as 
an  organization,  only  about  100  continentals,  retreating 
in  military  order,  being  left  of  the  3,000.  The  rest,  those 
not  killed  nor  badly  wounded,  fled  in  all  directions  and 
hid  in  swamps  and  underwood.  General  Gates  rode  three 
days  and  nights,  200  miles,  almost  alone,  to  Hillsborough, 
N.  C.  He  had  been  the  rival  and  enemy  of  Washington, 
and  the  commander  of  the  Americans  at  Saratoga.  This 
disaster  branded  him  for  all  time  as  an  incompetent  mili 
tary  commander.  (See  Saratoga,  Oct.  7.) 

THE  CLERMONT,  FIRST   SUCCESSFUL  STEAM 
BOAT  IN  THE  WORLD,  SAILED  ON 
HER  FIRST  TRIP 
Aug.  17,  1807 

History  and  the  common  impulse  of  intelligent 
people  throughout  the  world,  credit  the  first  successful 
steamboat  to  Robert  Fulton.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  at 
Little  Britain,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  in  1765.  His 
parents  were  middle  class  people,  with  small  income.  It 
is  said  that  the  country  schoolmaster,  a  Quaker,  despaired 
of  the  boy  Fulton,  who  seemed  to  care  little  for  books  but 
found  problems  for  himself  that  the  master  knew  nothing 
of,  nor  did  any  books  propound  nor  solve  them.  The 
country  folk  called  him  a  "wool  gatherer"  meaning  a 
dreamer. 

As  a  small  boy  he  experimented  strangely  with 
metals  and  chemicals  especially  quicksilver.  He  early 

187 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

displayed  a  talent  for  drawing.  At  fourteen  years  he 
painted  signs  for  the  village  shops.  Also  he  developed 
his  bent  for  mechanical  drawing.  At  Lancaster,  Pa.,  near 
his  home,  lived  William  Henry,  who,  in  1763,  constructed 
a  machine  for  propelling  boats  by  steam,  which  was  tried 
on  Conestoga  Creek,  a  small  stream  that  flows  by  Lan 
caster.  Here  came  frequently  John  Fitch,  another  pio 
neer  in  steamboat  invention,  to  visit  Henry.  Together 
they  talked  of  the  coming  steamboat,  and  together  they 
experimented  on  Conestoga  Creek.  The  boy  Fulton 
witnessed  one  of  these  experiments,  and  his  imagination 
was  set  on  fire.  Thereafter,  the  great  purpose  glowed  in 
him.  It  has  been  said  truly  that  William  Henry  built  the 
first  steamboat,  John  Fitch  improved  on  it,  and  Robert 
Fulton  improved  on  both,  carrying  forward  their  ideas 
and  merging  them  with  his  own,  thus  bringing  forth  the 
practical  steamboat,  in  place  of  the  crude  inventions  of 
the  other  two  that  had  failed  in  practice. 

Fulton  did  not  spring  forth  a  full  fledged  inventor  as 
a  boy.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  left  Lancaster  and 
went  to  Philadelphia  to  seek  his  fortune  as  a  painter  of 
portraits  and  miniatures.  He  had  a  tendency  to  the  "de 
cline"  as  tuberculosis  was  commonly  called.  To  im 
prove  his  health  he  went  on  a  voyage  to  England  at  the 
age  of  twenty.  In  London,  he  applied  himself  to  art,  as 
his  profession,  and  gained  recognition.  Perhaps,  if  he 
had  given  his  whole  soul  to  it,  he  would  now  be  known 
as  a  great  painter.  But  the  steamboat  never  ceased  to 
call  him.  He  gave  but  half  his  time  or  less,  to  his  art. 
The  balance  was  filled  with  modelling  and  experimenting 
in  steam  navigation.  He  published,  in  1796,  "A  Treatise 
on  Canal  Navigation  by  Robert  Fulton,  Civil  Engineer." 
Thereafter,  his  life  opened  largely  and  the  subsequent  ten 
years  hold  one  of  the  most  romantic  stories  of  struggle  in 
all  biographical  literature. 

Robert  R.  Livingston  of  New  York  was  appointed 
minister  plenipotentiary  to  France  in  1801.  He  had  been 

188 


AUGUST 

interested  in  the  problem  of  steam  navigation  for  many 
years.  He  met  Fulton  in  Paris  and  the  two  formed  a 
partnership.  In  1802  Fulton  designed  and  built  a  steam 
boat  on  the  river  Seine  and  offered  to  sell  it  to  the  French 
government.  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  then  First  Consul  and 
practically  dictator  of  France,  ordered  his  scientific  ad 
visers  to  examine  and  test  the  new  contrivance.  They 
were  what  is  called  "old  fogeys"  and  reported  against 
Fulton,  though  the  test  was  pronounced  successful  by 
other  competent  French  engineers.  Napoleon  dismissed 
Fulton  and  his  steamboat.  Years  afterwards,  when  Na 
poleon  was  a  prisoner  at  St.  Helena  he  saw  a  steamship 
for  the  first  time.  Then  he  remembered  Robert  Fulton 
and  realized  the  enormity  of  the  mistake  made  by  his 
advisers.  Had  he  accepted  Fulton's  project,  he  might 
have  conquered  England. 

Fulton  and  Livingston,  after  the  French  refusal,  im 
mediately  began  upon  the  project  of  building  a  boat  to 
run  between  New  York  and  Albany  on  the  Hudson  River. 

On  August  6,  1803,  Fulton  asked  Boulton  H.  Watt 
of  Birmingham,  England,  to  build  him^n  engine  and  ship 
it  to  New  York.  But  the  British  government  officials, 
fearing  that  Napoleon  was  behind  the  scheme,  refused 
permission  to  let  the  engine  be  exported.  The  matter 
was  held  up  more  than  two  years,  until  they  were  con 
vinced  that  their  great  enemy,  Bonaparte,  had  nothing  to 
do  with  it. 

In  September  1806,  Fulton  returned  to  America, 
after  an  absence  of  twenty  years,  and  at  once  began  the 
building  of  his  boat  at  New  York  in  the  ship  yard  of 
Charles  Brownne,  at  Corlear  Hook  on  the  East  River,  a 
short  distance  from  the  Battery.  When  the  keel  was 
laid,  he  decided  to  name  her  Clermont,  which  was  the 
name  of  Chancellor  Livingston's  country  home  on  the 
Hudson.  Fulton  himself  described  the  Clermont  as  fol 
lows: 

"My  first  steamboat  on  the  Hudson's  River  was  150 
189 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

feet  long,  13  feet  wide,  drawing  2  feet  of  water.,  bow  and 
stern  10  degrees ;  she  displaced  36.4  cubic  feet,  equal  100 
tons  of  water;  her  bow  presented  26  feet,  to  the  water, 
plus  and  minus  the  resistance  of  1  foot  running  4  miles 
an  hour." 

This  was  a  curiously  technical  description.  In  fact, 
the  Clermont  was  a  little  craft,  of  less  displacement  than 
the  Mayflower  of  the  Pilgrims.  The  cost  of  construc 
tion  and  machinery  was  about  $10,000. 

The  scheme  was  the  talk  of  the  town,  for  Living 
ston  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  what  was  then  patrician 
society.  The  public  generally  condemned  the  project  as 
foolish  and  the  sailor  labor  interests  were  bitterly  op 
posed  to  it  and  even  incited  violence  to  destroy  the  boat 
before  she  was  launched. 

A  month  before  the  boat  was  completed  the  funds 
were  exhausted.  There  was  imperative  need  of  $1,000. 
Fulton  went  about  the  city  pleading  with  his  friends  and 
with  financiers  to  let  him  have  the  money.  Finally  one 
capitalist  agreed  to  let  him^have  $100  on  condition  that 
he  get  others  to  subscribe  the  balance  of  $900.  He  did 
find  others,  but  all  the  subscribers  made  him  promise 
that  he  would  keep  their  names  secret,  as  they  feared  that 
all  men  of  substance  and  brains  would  scornfully  laugh 
at  them  for  being  fools  to  engage  in  such  a  hare-brained 
scheme ! 

At  length  the  boat  was  ready  and  was  brought  like 
a  canal  boat  around  into  the  Hudson  River,  to  a  wharf 
near  the  foot  of  West  10th  Street,  in  what  was  then  called 
Greenwich  Village. 

On  Monday,  August  17,  1807,  at  one  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  the  lines  were  cast  off  and  Fulton  gave  the 
signal  to  his  Scotch  engineer.  The  boat  moved  a  short 
distance  and  stopped.  She  became  immovable.  A  great 
crowd  had  gathered  beside  the  river,  most  of  them  derid 
ing  Fulton  and  his  boat.  When  the  boat  stopped,  they 
said  with  satisfied  contempt,  "I  told  you  so."  On  board 

190 


AUGUST 

were  forty  of  the  relatives  and  intimate  friends  of  Fulton 
and  Livingston  and  even  these  despaired.  But  Fulton 
addressed  them,  asking  that  they  suspend  judgment  for 
half  an  hour  while  he  examined  the  machinery.  He  found 
that  a  part  of  the  engine  had  been  wrongly  adjusted.  He 
quickly  corrected  it,  and  again  gave  the  word  to  the  en 
gineer.  This  time  the  paddle  wheels  moved  and  con 
tinued  to  turn.  The  boat  went  on.  The  crowd  on  the 
river  bank  changed  its  mind  and  set  up  a  tremendous 
cheering.  And  so  the  Clermont  sailed,  or  rather  steamed. 
Up  the  Hudson  she  went  at  a  speed  of  four  and  a  half 
miles  an  hour,  her  creaking  machinery  and  belching 
smokestack  spreading  consternation  and  even  supersti 
tious  fear  among  the  people  of  all  the  Hudson  valley,  for 
the  news  traveled  more  swiftly  than  the  boat  and  the 
people  rushed  to  the  river  banks  and  distant  hill  tops  to 
see  the  wonderful  new  craft.  One  man  ran  home  and 
told  his  wife  that  he  had  seen  "the  Devil  on  his  way  to 
Albany  in  a  saw  mill." 

The  Clermont  arrived  at  Albany  after  thirty-two 
hours  running  time,  for  the  distance  of  150  miles.  She 
returned  to  New  York  arriving  on  the  following  Friday, 
August  21st.  Thus  was  steamboat  navigation  estab 
lished  for  all  the  world,  and  the  17th  of  August  was 
made  one  of  the  most  important  of  American  anniver 
saries. 

Aug.  17  (1858) — First  Atlantic  cable  message  sent 
from  America  to  Europe,  year  1858.  The  message  was 
sent  from  Trinity  Bay,  Newfoundland,  to  Valentia,  Ire 
land.  The  words  were :  "Europe  and  America  are  united 
by  telegraph.  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest;  on  earth 
peace  and  good-will  towards  men."  This  first  cable  con 
tinued  to  work  for  a  short  time;  129  messages  (average 
11  words  each)  were  sent  from  England  to  America,  and 
271  from  America  to  England.  After  eighteen  days,  on 
Sept.  4th,  signals  became  unintelligible.  The  enterprise 
was  a  failure.  Eight  years  later  a  successful  cable  was 
laid.  (See  July  13.) 

191 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Aug.  18  (1587) — Virginia  Dare  born,  at  Roanoke 
Island,  N.  C,  year  1587,  the  first  child  of  English  parents 
born  in  America.  Her  father  was  William  Dare.  Her 
mother  was  Eleanor,  the  daughter  of  John  White,  the 
English  governor  of  the  second  agricultural  colony  sent 
by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  to  the  Carolinas.  Gov.  White 
sailed  back  to  England  for  supplies,  leaving  at  Roanoke 
eighty-nine  men,  seventeen  women  and  two  children — 
including  Virginia  Dare  and  her  parents.  When  White 
returned,  two  years  later,  the  entire  American  colony  had 
disappeared.  It  is  supposed  that  they  amalgamated  with 
the  Indians  of  the  Hatteras  tribe. 

Aug.  19  (1692) — Five  women  were  hanged  at  Salem, 
Mass.,  convicted  by  a  special  court  of  the  crime  of 
"Witchcraft,"  year  1692.  During  the  delusion  of  witch 
craft  among  the  people  of  Massachusetts  in  the  year 
1692,  especially  in  Salem,  nineteen  persons  were  hanged, 
one  was  "pressed"  to  death — a  horrible  punishment — 150 
were  imprisoned,  and  200  others  were  denounced  to  the 
court  but  not  arrested.  The  phobia  lasted  throughout  the 
spring  and  summer  of  that  year,  and  then  there  was  a 
return  to  common  sense  and  punishment  for  the  alleged 
crime  of  witchcraft  stopped. 

Aug.  19  (1812)— Battle  between  U.  S.  S.  Constitu 
tion  (55  guns,  468  men,  commanded  by  Captain  Isaac 
Hull)  and  His  [British]  Majesty's  Ship  Guerriere  (49 
guns,  263  men,  commanded  by  Captain  James  Richard 
Dacres)  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean  off  the  coast  of  Nova 
Scotia,  year  1812.  The  battle  lasted  40  minutes.  The 
Guerriere,  "dismasted  and  a  total  wreck,  surrendered. 
Two  days  later  she  was  blown  up.  The  American  loss 
was  7  killed  and  14  wounded;  British  loss  15  killed,  78 
wounded  and  170  taken  prisoners.  This  was  the  first 
battle  between  American  and  British  frigates  in  the  War 
of  1812.  The  result  thrilled  the  United  States  and  the 
news  of  the  victory  was  received  in  Europe  as  a  sensa 
tional  event.  The  Constitution  ranks  as  the  most  famous 

192 


AUGUST 

ship  of  the  United  States  Navy  during  all  its  history. 
(See  Naval  Battle  of  Santiago — the  Oregon.')  She  was 
one  of  two  sister  ships  (Constitution  and  United  States), 
sailing  frigates  of  1,576  tons,  launched  in  September,  1797. 
Her  original  cost  was  $302,719;  she  was  built  at  Boston. 
In  1830,  the  Navy  Department  condemned  the  ship  and 
ordered  that  she  be  sold  in  whole  or  broken  up  and  her 
timbers  disposed  of.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  then  wrote 
a  poem  of  three  stanzas,  entitled,  "Old  Ironsides,"  a  pro 
test,  which  aroused  the  whole  nation.  The  first  stanza 
reads : 

"Ay,  tear  her  tattered  ensign  down ! 

Long  has  it  waved  on  high, 
And  many  an  eye  has  danced  to  see 

That  banner  in  the  sky. 
Beneath  it  rang  the  battle-shout, 

And  burst  the  cannon's  roar; 
The  meteor  of  the  ocean  air 

Shall  sweep  the  clouds  no  more." 

The  old  ship  was  saved.  She  was  again  commis 
sioned  as  a  school  ship.  When  the  construction  of  the 
new  steel  navy  was  begun,  in  the  80's,  the  Constitution 
was  sent  to  Boston,  near  her  birth  place,  and  there  she 
lies  now,  one  of  the  precious  possessions  of  the  American 
people. 

Aug.  19  (1847)— Battle  of  Contreras,  Mex.,  year  1847. 
Lasted  throughout  night  and  part  of  next  early  morning. 
American  victory.  Gen.  Scott  (American,  3,000  men)  vs. 
Gen.  Valencia  (Mexican,  4,000  men).  American  loss — 
100  killed  and  wounded.  Mexican  loss — 700  killed  and 
wounded  and  813  prisoners. 

Aug.  20  (1833) — Benjamin  Harrison,  twenty-third 
President  of  the  United  States,  born  at  North  Bend,  O., 
year  1833;  died  at  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Mar.  13,  1901.  Was 
nominated  for  President  by  the  Republican  Party  in  1888 
and  elected.  Electoral  vote  (38  States)  :  Harrison,  233 ; 
Cleveland,  182.  Inaugurated  on  March  4,  1889;  served 

193 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

four  years.  The  chief  events  of  his  administration  were 
the  arbitration  of  the  Bering  Sea  difficulties  with  Eng 
land,  the  first  Pan-American  Congress  (at  Washington, 
1892),  the  opening  of  Oklahoma  for  settlement  (1889), 
and  the  Homestead  (Pa.)  labor  troubles  (1892). 

Aug.  20  (1847) — Battle  of  Churubusco,  Mex.,  year 
1847.  American  victory.  General  Scott  (American, 
8,000  men)  vs.  General  Santa  Anna  (Mexican,  20,000  men 
estimated  by  Americans).  American  loss,  100  killed  and 
800  wounded.  Mexican  loss,  4,000  killed  and  wounded 
and  3,000  taken  prisoners. 

Aug.  21  (1856)— Charter  Oak,  at  Hartford,  Conn., 
blown  down  in  a  wind  storm,  year  1856.  It  was  more 
than  200  years  old  at  its  death.  It  was  25  feet  in  circum 
ference  at  its  base.  In  1687,  King  James  II.  sent  Andros, 
his  governor,  to  America  with  orders  to  take  away  the 
charters  of  the  several  colonies.  The  charter  of  Connec 
ticut,  the  most  liberal  of  all  the  colonial  charters,  was 
secreted  in  a  cavity  of  the  oak  tree  at  Hartford  for  more 
than  a  year,  from  1687  to  1688,  when  King  James  was 
dethroned,  and  thus  the  charter  was  saved. 

WINNING    OF    THE    "SQUADRON    CUP,"    NOW 

CALLED    THE    "AMERICA    CUP,"    BY    THE 

YACHT    "AMERICA"    IN    THE    WATERS 

AROUND     THE     ISLE     OF     WIGHT, 

ENGLAND 

Aug.  22,  1851 

The  first  of  the  modern  international  industrial  ex 
hibitions  or  "world's  fairs"  was  held  in  Hyde  Park,  Lon 
don,  in  1851.  As  England  was  called  "the  mistress  of 
the  seas,"  naturally  it  was  planned  to  give  the  shipping 
industry  a  prominent  place  at  the  great  exhibition.  Yacht 
racing  was  to  be  an  auxiliary  feature. 

In  those  days,  "pilot  boats"  had  grown  to  be  an  im 
portant  part  of  shipping  in  England  and  her  colonies,  and 
in  America.  Especially  at  New  York,  the  pilot  boat  had 

194 


AUGUST 

been  developed  into  a  striking  sail  craft,  sturdy  and 
swift.  These  boats  carried  the  pilots  who  steered  ships 
in  and  out  of  New  York  harbor.  They  cruised  outside 
of  New  York  in  the  transatlantic  shipping  track,  with 
their  companies  of  pilots,  who,  in  the  open  sea,  were 
taken  on  and  off  the  ships  bound  in  and  out  from  New 
York.  They  carried  usually  but  three  sails — jib,  foresail 
and  mainsail  on  two  masts.  Sometimes  they  carried  a 
gaff  topsail.  They  combined  the  two  essential  qualities 
of  strength  and  speed,  and  though  small  in  size,  they 
cruised  in  the  ocean  summer  and  winter,  often  remaining 
at  sea  for  an  unbroken  period  of  twenty-five  days. 

The  officials  of  the  British  exposition  suggested  to 
New  York  yachtsmen  that  a  pilot  boat  be  sent  to  Eng 
land  to  compete  in  the  yacht  contests.  The  Americans, 
under  the  leadership  of  Commodore  John  C.  Stevens,  ac 
cepted  and,  in  the  spring  of  1851,  a  new  pilot  boat  de 
signed  by  George  Steers,  was  built  at  the  shipyard  of 
William  H.  Brown,  New  York,  and  launched  on  May  3, 
1851.  Her  measurements  were  as  follows:  Length  over 
all,  101  ft.  9  in.;  length  load  water  line,  90  ft.  3  in.; 
breadth  extreme,  23  ft. ;  draft  extreme,  11  ft.  The  foremast 
was  79  ft.  6  in.  long,  the  mainmast  81  ft.,  and  the  bowsprit 
31  ft.;  the  main  boom  was  58  ft.  She  was  rated  170  tons 
by  measurement.  Her  cost  was  $30,000.  She  was  named 
America. 

On  June  21,  1851,  the  America  sailed  for  Havre, 
France,  with  a  crew  of  ten  including  captain  and  mate. 
The  designer  George  Steers,  his  brother  and  his  nephew 
were  passengers.  After  a  voyage  of  twenty-one  days, 
she  arrived  at  Havre  in  good  shape.  Commodore 
Stevens  and  other  members  of  the  syndicate  that  had 
built  her,  awaited  her  at  Havre.  After  three  weeks  she 
sailed  across  the  English  channel  and  dropped  anchor 
among  the  fleet  of  English  yachts  in  the  Solent — the 
strait  that  divides  the  Isle  of  Wight  from  the  mainland 
of  England.  Then,  as  now,  the  waters  about  the  Isle  of 

195 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Wight,  famous  for  beauty  and  variety  of  wind  and  wave, 
included  the  favorite  sailing  courses  for  British  yachts 
men. 

Several  months  before,  at  the  time  of  the  launching 
of  the  America  the  Royal  Yacht  Squadron  of  England 
had  announced  a  contest  for  the  date  August  22,  1851, 
open  to  yachts  of  all  nations,  the  prize  to  be  a  cup  costing 
100  guineas,  to  be  given  to  the  yacht  first  across  the 
finish  line,  with  no  allowance  for  rig,  and  no  restrictions. 
It  was  in  fact  a  free-for-all.  It  was  not  intended  to  be 
the  -chief  event  of  the  season,  for  there  was  the  annual 
race  for  the  "Queen's  Cup"  which  was  regarded  generally 
as  the  "Derby"  of  yachting.  Besides,  when  the  contest 
was  announced  its  promoters  had  no  thought  of  the 
America,  nor  did  the  owners  of  the  American  yacht  know 
anything  about  it  when  their  yacht  was  launched.  But 
when  the  America  arrived  at  the  Isle  of  Wight,  Stevens 
decided  to  enter  this  contest  for  what  was  called  col 
loquially  "the  Squadron  Cup."  Immediately,  this  contest 
became  the  chief  event  of  the  season. 

The  course  was  approximately  a  circle  of  62  statute 
miles.  The  yachts  were  to  start  eastward  at  a  point 
north  of  Cowes,  and  sail  completely  around  the  Isle  of 
Wight. 

Fourteen  British  yachts  and  one  American  were  en 
tered  for  the  race.  They  ranged  in  size  from  a  three- 
masted  schooner  of  392  tons  to  a  cutter  of  47  tons.  There 
were  seven  schooners,  three  of  them  larger  than  the 
America  and  three  about  equal  in  size.  The  remaining 
eight  were  cutters,  one  of  which  was  larger  than  the 
America,  and  the  others  very  much  smaller. 

August  22,  1851,  fell  on  Friday — an  unlucky  day,  so 
British  and  American  sailors  have  believed  for  centuries. 
However,  it  does  not  appear  that  Commodore  Stevens 
had  any  fear  of  ill  luck  when  the  America  took  her  place 
in  line  on  that  Friday  morning,  nor,  for  that  matter  did 
the  British  yachtsmen,  so  far  as  is  known.  But  the  out- 

196 


AUGUST 

come  surely  did  give  new  life  to  the  old  superstition  in 
England. 

The  starting  gun  was  fired  at  9:55  a.  m.  A  good 
breeze  was  blowing.  Seven  miles  from  the  start, 
America  was  fifth.  Half  way  of  the  course,  America  led 
by  a  mile  with  Aurora,  the  smallest  of  the  cutters, 
second. 

At  the  Needles,  the  extreme  west  point  of  the  Is 
land,  America  led  Aurora  by  half  a  dozen  miles ;  the 
others  were  strung  out  miles  behind.  At  this  point,  the 
wind  almost  died  and  the  race  became  nearly  a  "drifting" 
match  through  the  Solent  to  the  finish.  The  America 
crossed  the  finish  line  first  at  8 :34  in  the  evening  while 
a  band  played  "Yankee  Doodle."  The  Aurora  was 
second  at  8:58  p.  m.  The  third  and  fourth  finished 
about  an  hour  later  and  the  fifth  at  1 :20  a.  m.  next 
morning.  The  records  for  the  others  were  not  given. 

A  great  number  of  vessels,  including  steamers  with 
spectators,  had  followed  the  race  and  were  waiting  at 
the  finish  to  acclaim  the  winner.  The  royal  steam  yacht 
Victoria  and  Albert  came  out  to  meet  the  contests.  Queen 
Victoria  was  on  board  and  saw  the  Yankee  victory. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  America  was  hard  pressed 
at  the  end  of  the  race.  Had  Aurora  been  given  the  time 
allowance  as  regularly  provided  by  the  rules,  America 
would  have  won  by  less  than  two  minutes.  However, 
the  conditions  definitely  waived  all  time  allowance  and 
so  it  stands  that  America  won  by  24  minutes  over  her 
nearest  rival.  The  British,  true  to  their  splendid  tradi 
tions  as  sportsmen,  gave  full  measure  of  glory  to  Com 
modore  Stevens  and  his  associates.  The  Squadron  Cup 
was  delivered  to  the  winners,  and  has  ever  since  re 
mained  in  possession  qf  the  New  York  Yacht  Club.  It 
has  been  called  the  "America  Cup"  ever  since  the 
America  won  it. 

Beginning  with  the  year  1870,  when  the  first  of  the 
matches  for  the  "America  Cup"  was  sailed  in  American 

197 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

waters,  down  to  the  year  1914  when  Sir  Thomas  Lipton 
challenged  for  the  fourth  time,  twelve  matches  were 
sailed.  Of  the  challenging  yachts  six  represented  Eng 
lish  Yacht  Clubs,  three  Irish,  two  Canadian,  and  one 
Scotch.  The  races  were  all  sailed  over  the  course  of  the 
New  York  Yacht  Club  in  New  York  Harbor  and  New 
York  Lower  Bay.  All  were  won  by  the  American  de 
fenders. 

Aug.  23  (1785) — Oliver  Hazard  Perry,  naval  officer, 
born  at  South  Kingston,  R.  I.,  year  1785 ;  died  at  Port 
of  Spain,  Trinidad,  West  Indies,  Aug.  23,  1819.  His 
remains  were  brought  to  Newport,  R.  L,  where  they  now 
lie  beneath  a  monument.  (See  Sept.  10,  Battle  of  Lake 
Erie,  Sept.  10.) 

Aug.  23  (1890)— U.  S.  S.  Baltimore  sailed  from  New 
York  for  Sweden,  carrying  the  remains  of  Capt.  John 
Ericsson,  the  great  inventor,  to  their  last  resting  place  in 
his  native  land,  year  1890.  He  had  died  March  8,  1889. 
His  greatest  service  to  the  United  States  was  the  inven 
tion  and  construction  of  the  ship  Monitor  which  saved  the 
navy  of  the  United  States.  (See  March  9.) 

Aug.  23  (1893)— The  United  States  Senate  ruled 
that  when  a  State  legislature  has  the  opportunity  to 
elect  a  U.  S.  Senator  and  fails  to  do  so,  an  appointment 
by  the  governor  is  void,  year  1893.  The  question  arose 
when  the  legislatures  of  Wyoming,  Montana  and  Wash 
ington,  deadlocked  over  political  differences,  adjourned 
their  sessions  of  the  preceding  winter  without  electing 
each  a  U.  S.  Senator  for  the  six  years'  term  beginning 
March  4,  1893.  The  governors  of  these  States  there 
upon  each  appointed  a  man  to  serve,  but  the  U.  S.  Senate 
would  not  admit  them.  Thus  there  were  three  vacancies 
in  the  Senate  during  the  session  of  1893-1894. 

Aug.  24  (1818)— Foundation  of  the  Central  struc 
ture  of  the  present  Capitol  at  Washington  was  finished, 
year  1818.  The  old  Capitol  had  only  the  two  wings 
connected  by  a  covered  wooden  bridge.  The  bridge  was 

198 


AUGUST 

destroyed  and  both  wings  badly  damaged  by  the  British 
who  set  fire  to  the  buildings  in  1814.  Congress,  in  1817, 
voted  to  restore  the  wings  and  build  the  new  central 
structure.  This  central  structure  with  its  dome,  was 
completed  in  1829.  The  two  great  marble  extension 
wings,  in  which  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representa 
tives  meet  were  begun  in  1851  and  completed  for  occu 
pation  in  1859.  The  old  dome,  made  of  wood  and  brick, 
was  torn  away  in  1855  and  the  present  dome  was  com 
pleted  in  1864.  The  great  statue  of  the  Goddess  of 
Freedom,  which  rests  upon  the  dome,  was  designed  by 
Thomas  Crawford,  father  of  F.  Marion  Crawford,  the 
novelist,  in  1855.  The  architect  of  the  first  two  separate 
buildings  which  constituted  the  old  Capitol  was  Benja 
min  H.  Latrobe  of  Richmond,  Va.  The  architect  of  the 
original  central  structure  and  dome  was  Charles  Bull 
finch  of  Boston,  who  also  supervised  the  restoration  of 
the  old  wings  after  the  fire  of  the  War  of  1812.  T.  U. 
Walter  of  Philadelphia  designed  the  marble  extensions 
and  the  present  dome.  The  total  cost  of  the  present 
Capitol,  including  the  approaches  and  terraces,  was  ap 
proximately  $16,000,000.  The  majority  of  architectural 
authorities  in  America  and  Europe  have  pronounced  it 
the  greatest  and  noblest  building  in  the  whole  world. 

Aug.  25  (1862) — Secretary  of  War  Stanton,  of  Presi 
dent  Lincoln's  cabinet,  ordered  the  military  governor  of 
the  coast  islands  of  South  Carolina  to  enlist  5,000  volun 
teers  of  "African  descent"  to  serve  in  the  Union  armies 
during  the  Civil  War,  year  1862.  Prior  to  this,  during 
the  first  sixteen  months  of  the  War,  the  Union  leaders 
enlisted  no  negro  soldiers. 

Aug.  26  (1791) — First  patents  for  steamboats  issued 
simultaneously  to  Nathan  Read,  James  Rumsey,  John 
Fitch  and  John  Stevens,  year  1791.  (See  voyage  of  the 
Clermont  Aug.  17,  1807.) 

Aug.  26  (1843) — Thurber  typewriter,  the  first  prac- 
.  tical  (except  as  to  speed)  typewriter  invented  in  America, 

199 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

patented  by  Charles  Thurber  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  year 
1843. 

Aug.  27  (1776)— Battle  of  Long  Island,  year  1776. 
British  victory.  Gen.  Sir  William  Howe  (British,  20,000 
men)  vs.  General  Washington,  (American,  8,000  men). 
British  loss,  63  killed,  271  wounded  and  22  taken  prison 
ers  ;  American  loss,  300  killed  and  wounded  and  700  taken 
prisoners.  The  battle  was  fought  on  the  ground  that  is 
now  included  in  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn,  New  York 
City.  The  British  had  come  with  an  army  and  a  large 
fleet  to  capture  New  York.  The  Americans  were  crude 
militia  and  the  defense  was  nearly  hopeless  against  the 
overwhelming  British  and  Hessian  force  of  trained  men. 
In  the  early  morning  of  Aug.  29,  two  days  later,  under 
cover  of  a  fog,  Washington  effected  a  masterly  retreat 
from  Long  Island  with  his  entire  army,  crossing  the  East 
River  and  marching  through  northern  Manhattan 
(through  what  is  now  Central  Park  and  upper  Broad 
way,  New  York)  to  the  heights  beside  the  Harlem  River, 
now  known  as  Washington  Heights.  This  retreat  was 
momentous  in  saving  the  American  cause.  The  British 
occupied  New  York  and  kept  it  until  the  end  of  the  war. 

Aug.  28  (1565) — Pedro  Menendez,  Spanish  explorer, 
discovered  a  bay  and  river  in  Florida  which  he  named 
St.  Augustine,  because  the  day  was  St.  Augustine's  Day 
in  the  Catholic  church  calendar,  year  1565. 

Aug.  28  (1859) — Petroleum  was  discovered  at  Wat 
son's  Flats,  Pa.,  near  the  headwaters  of  the  Allegheny 
River  in  Northwestern  Pennsylvania,  by  Edwin  L. 
Drake,  who  bored  the  first  oil  well,  year  1859.  Before 
the  end  of  the  year,  the  firm  Bowditch  &  Drake  bored 
through  the  rock  at  Titusville,  Pa.,  struck  oil  at  a  depth 
of  70  ft.  and  pumped  1,000  gallons  a  day  from  the  well. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  the  petroleum  industry. 

Aug.  29  (1809)— Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  poet, 
essayist  and  physician,  born  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  year 
1809;  died  at  Boston,  Oct.  7,  1894.  His  best  known  work 

200 


AUGUST 

is  "Autocrat  of  the  Breakfast  Table,"  in  which  is 
included  many  of  his  poems.  His  best  known  poems  are 
'The  Chambered  Nautilus"  and  "The  Wonderful  One- 
Hoss  Shay."  He  wrote  a  number  of  works  on  medicine; 
also  two  novels,  "Elsie  Venner"  and  "The  Guardian 
Angel." 

Aug.  29  (1916) — Act  of  Congress  approved:  "An 
Act  Making  Appropriations  for  the  Support  of  the  Army 
for  the  Fiscal  Year  Ending  June  30,  1917."  It  contained 
the  following  provision :  "The  President,  in  time  of  war, 
is  empowered,  through  the  Secretary  of  War,  to  take  pos 
session  and  assume  control  of  any  system  or  systems  of 
transportation,  or  any  part  thereof,  and  to  utilize  the 
same,  to  the  exclusion  as  far  as  may  be  necessary  of 
other  than  war  traffic  thereon,  for  the  transfer  or  trans 
portation  of  troops,  war  material  and  equipment,  and  for 
such  other  purposes  connected  with  the  emergency  as 
may  be  needful  if  desirable."  (See  Dec.  8,  1917,  the  tak 
ing  over  the  railroads  by  the  government.) 

Aug.  30  (1890) — Congress  passed  an  act  providing 
for  the  inspection,  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  of 
salted  pork  and  bacon  for  export,  and  of  imported  cattle 
and  foods  and  drinks,  and  authorized  the  President  to 
enforce  retaliation  against  foreign  nations  that  dis 
criminated  against  the  United  States,  year  1890.  At  that 
time,  there  was  an  outcry  in  Europe  against  American 
meat,  particularly  against  hogs  infected  with  trichinosis. 
Several  of  the  European  nations  prohibited  the  importa 
tion  of  American  pork.  Within  a  year  after  the  passage 
of  the  act,  these  nations  removed  the  restrictions.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  effective  national  pure  food  legis 
lation  by  Congress. 

Aug.  30  (1890) — Congress  enacted  a  law  providing 
for  the  endowment  of  colleges  of  agriculture  and  me 
chanics'  arts,  year  1890.  The  money  was  to  come  from 
the  sale  of  public  lands.  Each  State  and  Territory  was 
to  receive  $15,000  the  first  year,  and  this  sum  was  to  be 

201 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

increased  annually  until  $25,000  was  reached;  this  last 
named  sum  is  now  the  permanent  annual  donation  by 
the  national  government. 

Aug.  31  (1864) — Gen.  George  B.  McClellan  nomina 
ted  for  President  by  the  Democratic  National  Convention 
at  Chicago,  and  George  H.  Pendleton  nominated  for 
Vice-President,  year  1864.  McClellan  had  been  regarded 
as  a  martyr  by  a  large  element  in  the  North  opposed  to 
President  Lincoln  and  sympathetic  toward  the  Southern 
States.  The  convention  adopted  a  platform  declaring 
that  the  Civil  War  was  a  failure  and  demanded  that 
"immediate  efforts  be  made  for  a  cessation  of  hostilities." 
In  the  election  which  followed,  twenty-five  states  par 
ticipated.  The  popular  vote  was:  Lincoln,  2,216,067; 
McClellan,  1,808,725.  Lincoln's  plurality,  407,342.  Lin 
coln  received  212  electoral  votes  and  McClellan  21.  In 
New  York,  Lincoln  had  a  plurality  of  only  6,700  in  a  total 
of  730,000  votes.  It  has  been  estimated  that  a  change 
Of  less  than  3  per  cent,  of  the  vote  in  New  York,  Pennsyl 
vania,  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois  would  have  elected 
McClellan  and  the  Confederate  States  would  have  ob 
tained  a  compromise,  instead  of  being  forced  to  an  abject 
surrender.  (See  Dec.  3.) 

Aug.  31  (1886)— Earthquake  destroyed  $5,000,000  of 
property  at  Charleston,  S.  C.,  and  many  lives  were  lost, 
year  1886.  The  shock  was  felt  throughout  twenty  States. 


202 


SEPTEMBER 

September  1  (1851) — Execution  of  Narciso  Lopez, 
Spanish-American  soldier  who  organized,  in  the  United 
States,  a  fillibustering  expedition  to  free  Cuba  from 
Spain,  year  1851.  He  landed  at  Bahia  Honda,  Cuba,  in 
the  province  of  Pinar  Del  Rio,  west  of  Havana,  on  Aug. 
12,  with  450  men.  Next  day  he  was  attacked  by  a 
Spanish  force  of  1,300  and  defeated  them.  He  then  re 
treated  to  the  interior,  expecting  the  Cubans  to  rise  and 
join  in  the  revolution.  But  they  did  not,  and  his  follow 
ers  were  forced  to  scatter  through  the  mountains.  Lopez 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Spanish,  was  taken  to  Havana, 
tried  for  high  treason  and  condemned  to  death  by  gar- 
rote.  'He  was  the  leader  of  the  Cuban  party  that  favored 
annexation  to  the  United  States. 

Sept.  2  (1789)— Department  of  the  Treasury  of 
the  United  States  government  organized,  year  1789. 
Alexander  Hamilton  was  appointed  secretary. 

FIRST  MONDAY  IN  SEPTEMBER 
Labor  Day 

The  inauguration  of  this  holiday  was  brought  about 
directly  by  the  Knights  of  Labor,  'the  first  of  the  great 
national  labor  organizations  of  America.  The  Knights 
of  Labor  grew  out  of  a  secret  union  of  garment  cutters 
organized  in  Philadelphia  in  1869  under  the  leadership 
of  Uriah  S.  Stevens.  In  1871  this  society  of  garment 
workers  was  formally  reorganized  as  Local  Assembly 
No.  1  of  the  Noble  Order  of  the  Knights  of  Labor.  A 
'ritual,  somewhat  after  Masonic  traditions,  was  adopted. 
Secrecy  was  strictly  enjoined.  Even  the  name  of  the 
order  was  kept  from  outsiders.  It  spread  from  Phila 
delphia  throughout  Pennsylvania  in  a  short  time.  It 
especially  appealed  to  the  mine  workers.  Its  growth 
from  1875  to  1885  was  so  extraordinary  as  to  attract  the 

203 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

attention  of  the  whole  civilized  world.    In  1885  its  mem 
bership  was  estimated  at  500,000. 

In  1881,  the  title  of  the  order  was  formally  made 
public  and  also  its  declaration  of  principles.  This  dec 
laration  was  an  exhaustive  radical  platform,  intended  to 
clearly  point  the  way  to  a  solution  of  the  "Labor  Ques 
tion."  As  a  matter  of  fact,  this  platform  contains  nearly 
every  radical  principle  and  the  outline  of  nearly  every 
radical  policy  which  the  "radicals"  of  all  the  dominant 
political  parties  of  the  United  States  later  adopted  and 
enacted  into  laws. 

Undoubtedly,  this  labor  society  was  the  most  hu 
manitarian  and  idealistic  of  all  strictly  labor  organiza 
tions  of  the  Nineteenth  century.  It  strove  to  amalgamate 
all  workers,  skilled  and  unskilled.  It  strove  to  make 
educators  of  the  highly  skilled  for  the  benefit  of  the  low 
lier  ones.  But  it  was  found  to  be  subversive  of  the  most 
essential  principles  of  Trade  Unionism,  as  such  unionism 
then  existed.  Trade  classes  and  castes  found  irksome 
the  complete  amalgamation  with  those  of  lower  caste — 
so  to  speak.  The  highly  skilled  failed  to  become  edu 
cators  of  their  lowlier  brethren.  So  a  split  in  the  Knights 
of  Labor  came  at  the  annual  convention  at  Richmond, 
Va.,  in  1887.  Samuel  Gompers  and  others  withdrew  and 
organized  the  American  Federation  of  Labor,  which 
recognized  the  nearly  complete  independence  of  each 
trade  or  union,  and  only  bound  all  together  for  the  at 
tainment  of  certain  ends  in  which  all  were  obviously 
and  selfishly  interested.  The  Federation  idea  spread 
even  more  rapidly  than  the  idea  of  the  Knights,  and 
eventually  the  Federation  became  the  dominant  national 
expression  of  what  is  called  Labor  Interests  in'  the 
United  States. 

The  following  is  an  excerpt  from  "Labor  Day,  Its 
History  and  Significance,"  written  by  T.  V.  Powderly, 
formerly  Grand  Master  Workman  of1  the  Knights  of 
Labor : 

204 


SEPTEMBER 

"When  the  General  Assembly  was  opened  on  Sept.  5 
[at  New  York  City  in  1882],  a  communication  was  read 
from  the  secretary  of  the  New  York  Central  Union, 
Matthew  McGuire,  inviting  the  members  of  the  body  to 
review  the  parade  from  the  grand  stand  at  Union  Square. 
A  recess  was  taken  in  order  to  comply  with  the  request 
of  the  Central  Labor  Union,  and  the  members  of  the 
Assembly  witnessed  the  first  Labor  Day  parade.  During 
the  time  that  various  organizations  were  passing  the 
grand  stand  at  Union  Square,  Robert  Price,  of  Lona- 
coning,  Md.,  turned  to  General  Worthy  Foreman  of  the 
Knights  of  Labor,  Richard  Griffiths,  and  said:  'This  is 
Labor  Day  in  earnest,  Uncle  Dick.'  Whether  this  was 
the  first  time  the  term  had  been  used  is  not  known,  but 
the  event  was  afterwards  referred  to  as  the  'Labor  Day 
parade.'  In  1883  the  organizations  of  New  York  paraded 
on  the  first  Monday  in  September.  When,  in  1884,  the 
Central  Labor  Union  of  New  York  had  the  question  of 
parading  up  for  discussion,  George  K.  Lloyd,  a  Knight 
of  Labor,  offered  a  resolution  declaring  the  first  Monday 
in  September  to  be  Labor  Day.  The  resolution  was 
adopted  and  steps  were  at  once  taken  to  have  the  Legis 
lature  enact  a  law  making  the  first  Monday  in  September 
a  legal  holiday,  to  be  known  as  Labor  Day.  The  agita 
tion,  begun  in  New  York,  extended  to  other  States  with 
most  gratifying  results." 

The  first  State  to  make  Labor  Day  a  legal  holiday 
was  Oregon,  on  Feb.  21,  1887.  Colorado  followed  on 
March  15,  then  New  Jersey  on  April  15,  New  York  on 
May  6,  and  Massachusetts  on  May  11 — all  in  the  year 
1887;  so  this  year  1887  is  memorable  to  organized  labor. 
All  the  other  States  have  followed  the  lead  of  the  first 
five,  and  the  first  Monday  in  September  is  practically 
a  national  holiday. 

Sept.  2  (1864) — Atlanta,  Ga.,  a  vital  stronghold  of 
the  Confederacy,  was  captured  by  a  Union  Army,  after 
a  campaign  and  siege  lasting  four  months,  year  1864. 

205 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

The  Union  force  (including  the  Army  of  the  Cumber 
land,  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  the  Army  of  the 
Ohio)  numbered  100,000  men  and  was  commanded  by 
Gen.  William  T.  Sherman.  The  Confederate  army  of 
75,000  men  was  commanded  by  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston, 
until  July  17,  1864,  when  he  was  superseded  and  Gen. 
John  Bell  Hood  placed  in  command.  The  actual  siege 
lasted  thirty-six  days.  The  Confederates  evacuated  the 
city  on  Sept.  2,  retreating  in  good  order.  During  the 
siege,  the  Confederates  made  four  sorties,  known  as  the 
battles  of  Peach  Tree  Creek  (July  20),  Atlanta  (July  22), 
Ezra  Chapel  (July  28)  and  Jonesboro  (Aug.  31).  The 
Union  loss  in  campaign  and  siege,  from  May  5  to  Sept.  2, 
was  5,284  killed,  26,129  wounded  and  5,786  missing — 
total  37,199.  The  Confederate  loss  was  not  reported, 
except  12,983  taken  prisoners.  Northern  authorities 
estimate  the  total  Confederate  loss  at  30,000  men. 

Sept.  3  (1783)— Treaty  of  Versailles  (France)  be 
tween  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  ending  the 
American  Revolution,  year  1783.  Actual  hostilities  had 
ceased  upon  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown, 
Oct.  19,  1781.  Early  in  the  following  spring,  1782,  the 
British  ministry  sent  Richard  Oswald  to  Paris  to  confer 
with  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin  and  the  other  American 
plenipotentiaries  and  also  with  the  French  ministers, 
relative  to  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  peace.  For  a  whole 
year,  the  negotiations  were  carried  on  before  the  pre 
liminary  agreement  was  made.  On  April  19,  1783,  the 
cessation  of  hostilities  was  formerly  proclaimed,  but  the 
three  governments  did  not  finally  agree  until  Sept.  9  of 
that  year — nearly  two  years  after  the  Yorktown  sur 
render.  The  treaty  was  signed  by  David  Hartley  for 
Great  Britain,  and  by  John  Adams,  Benjamin  Franklin 
and  John  Jay  (in  the  order  of  their  names)  for  the  United 
States.  The  treaty  between  England  and  France  was 
embodied  in  a  separate  document. 

Sept.  4  (1882)— First  electric  lighting  plant  started 
206 


SEPTEMBER 

for  commercial  uses,  year  1882.  The  dynamo  was  in 
stalled  by  Thomas  A.  Edison  in  a  house  at  227  Pearl 
Street,  New  York. 

Sept.  4  (1886) — A  band  of  Apache  Indians,  under 
their  chief  Geronimo,  who  had  waged  a  fierce  war 
for  a  year  against  the  United  States  citizens  in  Texas, 
New  Mexico  and  Arizona,  surrendered  to  a  cavalry  force 
under  Gen.  Nelson  Appleton  Miles,  year  1886. 

MEETING  OF  THE  FIRST  CONTINENTAL 
CONGRESS 

September  5,  1774 

The  American  Union  actually  came  into  existence 
when  the  delegates  from  eleven  colonies  met  in  a  con 
ference  or  "congress"  at  Philadelphia,  on  Sept.  5,  1774. 
Delegates  from  North  Carolina,  the  twelfth  colony, 
joined  the  body  a  few  days  later.  Georgia  did  not  send 
any  delegates. 

This  meeting  of  delegates,  after  a  time,  became 
known  as  the  "First  Continental  Congress."  The  word 
"Continental,"  used  to  identify  this  first  congress  of  the 
British  colonies  in  the  mainland  of  North  America  south 
of  Canada,  is  a  popular  American  euphemism,  dignified 
by  more  than  a  century  of  use.  As  an  Americanism, 
it  was  and  is  practically  unknown  in  the  continent  of 
Europe.  It  had  little,  if  any  official  sanction.  The 
word  was  stretched  to  cover  other  features  of  the  Amer 
ican  Revolution — "Continental  Money,"  "Continentals" 
(soldiers). 

This  usage  of  the  word  is  derived  from  the  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts,  and  not  from  Virginia  as  a 
number  of  historians  and  encyclopedists  have  asserted 
in  error.  The  Massachusetts  Assembly,  in  1774,  called 
a  "Meeting  of  Committees  from  the  Several  Colonies  on 
this  Continent."  North  Carolina  referred  to  the  "Colo 
nies  of  North  America,  in  General  Congress."  Virginia 
called  it  a  "General  Congress  of  Deputies."  The  other 

207 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

colonies  called  it  variously:  "General  Congress,"  "Con 
gress,"  "Congress  of  Deputies,"  "Congress  of  Commis 
sioners."  Only  Massachusetts  used  the  word  "continent." 

Of  course  "Continental"  was  an  exaggeration. 
Canada  did  not  join,  nor  were  the  French  or  Spanish 
colonies  invited,  nor  Mexico,  nor  any  part  of  Central 
America.  Nevertheless,  it  was  a  very  useful  word.  It 
served,  in  England,  to  distinguish  the  Philadelphia  con 
gress  from  the  "provincia.1  congress"  which  latter  was 
the  legislative  body  of  Massachusetts.  At  first,  the 
American  army  about  Boston,  in  April  and  May,  1775, 
was  called  with  some  formality,  "the  Provincial  Army" 
to  distinguish  it  from  "the  Ministerial  Army"  com 
manded  by  the  British  governor,  General  Gage;  a  HttleN 
later,  when  Washington  took  command,  "Continental" 
was  substituted  for  '^Provincial." 

The  honor  of  actually  fixing  the  word  "Continental" 
in  American  history  belongs  to  Ethan  Allen,  the  "Robin 
Hood"  of  the  Green  Mountains.  He  commanded  a  body 
of  "Green  Mountain  Boys"  in  the  first  important  ro 
mantic  expedition  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  At  the 
head  of  eighty-three  of  these  adventurers,  he  surprised 
Fort  Ticonderoga  at  daybreak  on  May  9,  1775.  (See 
May  9.)  Allen  led  the  way  silently  into  the  fort,  right 
up  to  the  door  of  the  quarters  of  the  British  commandant, 
Captain  Delaplace.  He  struck  the  door  and  demanded 
the  surrender  of  the  fort.  The  commandant  jumped  out 
of  bed  and  cried  out  in  astonishment:  "By  whose  au 
thority  do  you  act?" 

"In  the  name  of  the  great  Jehovah  and  the  Con 
tinental  Congress !"  delivered  Allen  grandiloquently, 
with  a  flourish  of  his  sword.  He  was  much  given  to 
quoting  Scripture  and  had  a  gift  of  saying  sonorous 
things.  He  relished  the  rolling  sonorousness  of  "Con 
tinental."  And  at  once  the  word  flew  through  the  new 
nation. 

The  total  number  of  delegates  selected  for  the  First 
208 


SEPTEMBER 

Continental  Congress  was  fifty-seven.  According  to  the 
Journal  of  the  Proceedings  of  Congress,  kept  by  the 
secretary,  all  the  delegates  presented  themselves,  except 
one — James  Bowdoin  of  Massachusetts. 

The  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania  offered  the  Pennsyl 
vania  State  House  at  Philadelphia  for  the  sessions  of 
the  Congress.  The  carpenters  of  Philadelphia  also  offered 
the  hall  of  their  guild.  It  had  so  happened  that  the  car 
penters  of  Boston,  a  little  while  prior  to  this  time,  had 
refused  to  construct  barracks  for  the  British  army  which 
was  being  assembled  at  Boston,  though  they  were  in 
distress  for  want  of  employment;  their  sturdiness  had 
gained  the  warm  sympathy  of  rich  and  poor  in  all  the 
colonies.  So  it  was  that  the  delegates  at  Philadelphia 
decided  to  honor  the  mechanics  of  that  city  and  also  of 
Boston  by  meeting  in  the  Carpenter's  Hall.  The  meeting 
room  was  54  feet  square. 

On  the  morning  of  the  5th  of  September,  the  dele 
gates  walked  in  a  body  to  Carpenter's  Hall  and  sat  in 
the  first  meeting.  Peyton  Randolph  of  Virginia  was 
chosen  president  and  Charles  Thompson  of  Philadelphia, 
who  was  not  a  delegate,  was  made  secretary. 

In  the  very  first  debate,  Patrick  Henry  made  a  speech 
in  which  he  said:  "The  distinctions  between  Virginians, 
Pennsylvanians,  New  Yorkers  and  New  Englanders  are 
no  more.  I  am  not  a  Virginian,  but  an  American!" 
Since  that  speech,  Patrick  Henry  has  been  popularly 
credited  with  making  the  classification  "American"  to 
distinguish  the  people  of  the  United  States. 

The  list  of  members  included  the  ablest  men  in 
America.  It  is  an  amazing  list,  because  of  the  sheer 
power  of  mind  and  the  transcendental  quality  of  its  en 
semble.  Its  intellectual  output  was  greater  than  that  of 
the  second  Congress,  which  adopted  the  Declaration  of 
Independence. 

On  Oct.  9,  a  little  more  than  a  month  following  the 
opening,  George  Washington,  who  was  a  delegate,  wrote 

209 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

in  a  letter:  "I  am  satisfied  that  no  such  thing  [as  inde 
pendence]  is  desired  by  any  thinking  man  in  all  North 
America ;  on  the  contrary,  that  it  is  the  wish  of  the 
warmest  advocates  for  liberty  that  peace  and  tranquility, 
on  constitutional  grounds,  "may  be  restored  and  the 
horrors  of  civil  discord  prevented." 

About  the  same  time  John  Adams  wrote  in  a  letter : 
"If  it  is  the  secret  hope  of  many,  as  I  suspect  it  is,  that 
the  congress  will  advise  to  offensive  measures,  they  will 
be  mistaken.  .  .  .  Their  [the  delegates]  opinions  are 
fixed  against  hostilities  and  rupture,  except  they  should 
become  absolutely  necessary;  and  this  necessity  they  do 
not  yet  see." 

Thus  it  appears  that  the  moderates  were  in  a 
majority,  and  did  not  entirely  approve  of  Samuel  Adams 
and  Patrick  Henry  who  were  the  radical  leaders  and 
who  desired  at  once  a  final  break  with  England. 

On  Oct.  8,  after  some  opposition  by  the  extreme 
conservatives  the  following  resolution  was  adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  the  Congress  approves  the  opposi 
tion  of  the  inhabitants  of  Massachusetts  Bay  to  the 
execution  of  the  late  acts  of  Parliament ;  and  if  the  same 
shall  be  attempted  to  be  carried  into  execution  by  force, 
in  such  case  all  Americans  ought  to  support  them  in 
their  opposition." 

This  was  the  most  important  act  of  the  Congress; 
it  was  the  first  act  of  defiance  by  the  united  colonies. 

A  number  of  state  papers  were  put  forth  by  the  Con 
gress,  'setting  forth  the  American  position.  Letters  were 
addressed  to  the  "People  of  Great  Britain,"  "To  the  In 
habitants  of  the  Several  British-American  Colonies," 
"To  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Province  of  Quebec,"  "To 
the  King's  Most  Excellent  Majesty."  These  papers 
served  to  demonstrate  to  the  civilized  world  the  wisdom 
and  intellectual  force  of  the  American  leaders,  and  they 
succeeded  in  winning  the  respect  of  the  leading  states 
men  of  Europe. 

210 


SEPTEMBER 

The  Congress  adjourned  on  Oct.  26,  after  having 
actually  met  on  thirty-five  days.  Before  adjournment, 
the  date  May  10,  1775,  was  fixed  for  the  next  meeting. 

In  America  the  Congress  became  a  de  facto  govern 
ment,  and  this  was  because  of  the  sheer  force  of  intellect 
of  its  members.  The  delegates  were  without  legal  au 
thority.  They  could  not  bind  any  colony  by  their  action 
nor  could  they  punish  disobedience  or  disregard  of  their 
suggestions.  Yet  it  came  about  that  they  exercised  the 
authority  of  a  sovereign  government,  believing,  no  doubt, 
that  their  acts  would  later  be  ratified  formally  by  the 
several  colonies.  It  may  be  assumed  that  they  were 
conscious  of  the  fact  that  the  Congress  included  the 
natural  leaders  of  America,  by  virtue  of  their  intellect 
and  popularity,  and  these  men  might  well,  in  the  absence 
of  authorized  government,  assume  the  authority  of  gov 
ernment,  not  as  dictators,  but  as  pure  democratic  repre 
sentatives. 

Sept.  5  (1781) — Naval  Battle  of  Lynnhaven  Bay,  the 
most  important  naval  action  of  the  Revolutionary  War, 
year  1781.  Admiral  de  Grasse  (French,  fleet  of  24  ships 
of  war)  vs.  Admiral  Graves  (English,  fleet  of  19  ships). 
Technically  indecisive,  but  in  effect  a  French  victory 
which  vitally  influenced  the  outcome  of  the  war.  Admiral 
de  Grasse,  following  the  advice  of  Washington,  had  sailed 
from  the  West  Indies,  outwitted  the  English  naval  com 
manders,  and  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  Chesapeake  Bay  on 
August  30  with  24  ships  (some  say  27  ships).  He  an 
chored  in  Lynnhaven  Bay,  a  roadstead  of  the  Virginia 
coast  near  Jamestown.  Five  days  later  Admiral  Graves 
with  his  English  fleet  of  19  ships  appeared  and  headed  in 
to  attack  at  once  the  French.  At  this  time  there  was 
upon  the  sea  a  second  French  fleet  of  seven  large  ships 
under  Admiral  de  Barras  carrying  from  Newport  the 
siege  guns  that  Washington  was  to  use  against  Corn- 
wallis.  The  great  object  of  the  English  admiral  was  to 
prevent  this  second  fleet  from  entering  the  Chesapeake, 

211 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

or  from  joining  de  Grasse.  So  Admiral  Graves  sailed 
boldly  against  de  Grasse  to  beat  him  before  de  Barras 
arrived.  De  Grasse  accepted  the  challenge,  slipped  his 
cables  and  stood  directly  out  to  meet  the  incoming 
English;  he  knew  that  he  was  superior  in  force  to  the 
English.  The  battle  began  about  4  p.  m.,  within  sight  of 
the  Virginia  coast,  and  lasted  until  sunset.  The  firing 
was  at  long  range.  The  French  lost  21  officers  and  200 
men  killed  and  wounded.  The  English  loss  was  336  men 
killed  and  wounded,  and  three  ships — the  Terrible,  74 
guns,  and  the  Iris  and  the  Richmond,  each  of  40  guns. 
Several  other  ships  in  both  fleets  were  damaged.  Thus 
it  is  seen  that  the  engagement  was  very  heavy  for  long 
range. 

During  the  succeeding  five  days  de  Grasse  manoeuv- 
ered  with  success,  drawing  the  English  fleet  away  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  de  Barras  slipped 
in  with  his  fleet.  Then  de  Grasse  returned  to  Chesapeake 
Bay,  knowing  that  he  had  command  of  the  American  sea 
board  for  the  time,  and  the  siege  of  Yorktown  was  pressed 
with  consummate  strategy  and  energy.  Admiral  Graves 
was  obliged  to  sail  back  to  New  York  for  repairs.  Be 
fore  he  could  return  to  the  Chesapeake,  Cornwallis  had 
surrendered.  It  is  one  of  the  curiosities  of  American 
history  that  none  of  the  first  rank  historians,  excepting 
Capt.  Alfred  T.  Mahan,  has  given  proper  historic  value 
to  the  Battle  of  Lynnhaven  Bay.  Bancroft  covers  the 
whole  affair  in  these  few  words :  "The  action  began  at 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  continued  till  about 
sunset.  The  British  sustained  so  great  a  loss  that,  after 
remaining  five  days  in  sight  of  the  French,  they  returned 
to  New  York." 

J.  J.  Jusserand,  ambassador  of  France  to  the  United 
States,  in  his  book  "With  Americans  of  Past  and  Present 
Days,"  published  in  1916,  writes:  "It  can  be  truly  said 
that  no  single  man  risked  nor  did  more  for  the  United 
States  than  de  Grasse,  the  single  one  of  the  leaders  to 

212 


SEPTEMBER 

whom  no  memorial  has  been  dedicated."  It  is  assumed 
that  Ambassador  Jusserand  referred  to  the  French 
"leaders,"  including  Lafayette. 

The  French,  with  good  reason,  have  celebrated  this 
battle  and  the  resulting  surrender  at  Yorktown  as  a 
French  victory,  with  very  little  credit  to  the  Americans 
— excepting  Washington.  (See  Yorktown,  Oct.  19.) 

Sept.  5  (1813)— Naval  battle  between  the  U.  S.  S. 
Enterprise  (sailing  sloop  of  war,  16  guns,  102  men)  and 
His  British  Majesty's  Ship  Boxer  (sailing  sloop  of  war, 
14  guns,  100  men),  off  the  coast  of  Maine,  year  1813. 
An  American  victory.  The  Boxer  was  cut  to  pieces  and 
surrendered  after  40  minutes.  American  loss,  2  killed 
and  12  wounded.  British  loss,  4  killed,  21  wounded  and 
75  taken  prisoners. 

Sept.  5  (1905)— Treaty  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  ending 
the  Russo-Japanese  War  (1904-1905)  signed,  year  1905. 
The  peace  conference  between  the  plenipotentiaries  of 
Russia  and  Japan  which  resulted  in  the  treaty,  was 
directly  brought  about  by  President  Roosevelt.  For  this 
service,  Roosevelt  was  awarded  the  Nobel  Peace  Prize 
in  1906. 

Sept.  6  (1757)— Marie  Jean  Paul  Roch  Yves 
Gilbert  du  Motier,  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  born  at 
Chavagnac,  province  of  Auvergne,  France,  year  1757. 
Purchased  a  vessel  and  sailed  on  April  26,  1777,  for 
America  with  eleven  other  French  officers  to  join  the 
American  army  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Served  with 
military  success  until  the  end  of  the  war  and  contributed 
great  influence  in  prevailing  on  France  to  aid  the  Amer 
icans.  Returned  to  France  and  was  one  of  the  chief 
figures  during  the  first  three  years  of  the  French  Revolu 
tion.  Was  obliged  to  fly  from  France  in  1792,  was  im 
prisoned  for  five  years  by  the  Austrians.  Was  liberated 
by  Napoleon.  Returned  to  France  in  1799  and  lived  on 
his  estate  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  In  1824-1825 
he  visited  the  United  States  and  was  received  with  high- 

213 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

est  honor  by  the  nation.  Congress  voted  him  a  grant 
of  $200,000  and  a  township  of  land.  He  died  in  Paris, 
May  20,  1834.  His  eldest  son  was  named  George  Wash 
ington  Lafayette. 

Sept.  6  (1901) — President  William  McKinley  .was 
shot  by  an  assassin  at  Buffalo,  year  1901.  (See  Jan.  29.) 

Sept.  7  (1630) — Boston  settled  by  John  Winthrop 
and  a  colony  of  Puritans  who  had  come  from  England 
to  Salem  and  Charlestown,  Mass.,  a  year  before,  year 
1630. 

Sept.  7  (1816) — The  Frontenac,  first  steamboat  on 
the  .Great  Lakes,  was  launched  at  Ernestown,  Canada, 
on  Lake  Ontario,  year  1816.  She  was  170  feet  length 
of  deck,  stern  wheeler,  of  700  tons,  and  cost"  $75,000. 
She  carried  passengers  from  Kingston  to  Niagara  during 
ten  years. 

Sept.  7  (1917)— Manufacture  of  whiskey  from  grain 
ceased  in  all  the  United  States,  under  the  Food  Control 
Act  of  Congress  adopted  seven  months  prior. 

Sept.  8  (1565)— St.  Augustine,  Fla.,  founded  by  Don 
Pedro  Menendez,  year  1565.  It  was  the  first  permanent 
settlement  in  what  is  now  the  United  States. 

Sept.  8  (1781)— Battle  of  Eutaw  Springs,  South 
Carolina,  year  1781.  Last  battle  of  the  Revolutionary 
War  excepting  the  siege  of  Yorktown.  A  drawn  battle, 
but  in  effect,  an  American  victory.  Gen.  Nathanael 
Greene  (American,  1,600  effective  men)  vs.  Lieut.  Col. 
Sir  John  Stuart  (British,  2,000  effective  men).  At  first 
the  Americans  were  successful,  driving  the  British  from 
the  field  and  capturing  the  British  camp  in  which  the 
half  starved  American  militia  broke  discipline  and  made 
merry,  eating,  drinking  and  plundering.  But  the  British 
rallied,  taking  position  in  and  around  a  brick  house. 
Greene  ordered  a  charge.  The  British  held  their  position 
and  poured  a  terrible  fire.  The  Americans  were  driven 
back,  losing  one-third  of  their  number.  Thus  the  British 
claimed  the  victory.  The  American  loss  was  554  killed, 

214 


SEPTEMBER 

wounded  and  missing.  The  British  lost  a  total  of  800 
including  prisoners.  That  night  the  British  retreated 
toward  Charleston,  pursued  by  Greene's  cavalry.  They 
abandoned  all  the  South  except  the  city  of  Charleston, 
until  peace  was  declared. 

Sept.  8  (1847) — Battle  of  Molino  Del  Rey,  Mexico, 
year  1847.  A  dubious  American  victory.  General  Wil 
liam  Jenkins  Worth  (American,  3,500  men)  vs.  General 
Santa  Anna  (Mexican,  10,000  men).  This  was  the  most 
strongly  contested  battle  of  the  Mexican  War.'  Amer 
icans  succeeded  in  destroying  an  old  cannon  foundry  of 
the  Mexicans,  which  was  the  object  of  their  attack.  But 
in  the  end,  they  were  obliged  to  fall  back.  It  was  the 
only  battle  of  the  war  in  which  the  Mexicans  inflicted 
severe  loss  on  the  Americans  and  it  was  heralded 
throughout  Mexico  as  a  great  Mexican  victory.  The 
American  loss  was  116  killed  and  671  wounded.  The 
Mexican  loss  was  3,000  including  800  taken  prisoners. 

Sept.  9  (1664)— Peter  Stuyvesant,  the  last  Dutch 
governor  of  New  Amsterdam, *signed  the  articles  of  sur 
render  of  the  colony  to  Colonel  Nichols,  the  English 
commander,  year  1664.  An  English  fleet  had  arrived  in 
the  bay  on  Aug.  30,  and  was  ready  to  bombard  the  town. 
The  English  immediately  changed  the  name  to  New 
York,  naming  the  city  in  honor  of  the  Duke  of  York 
(brother  of  King  Charles  II.),  who  was  at  the  head  of 
the  English  navy  and  who  later  became  King  James  II. 

Sept.  9  (1850) — California  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1850. 

BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 
September  10,  1813 

The  administration  of  President  Madison,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  War  of  1812,  realized  the  strategic  im 
portance  of  controlling  Lake  Ontario  and  Lake  Erie.  In 
1812,  a  small  fleet  was  constructed  on  Lake  Ontario  and 

215 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

a  brilliant  naval  campaign  was  carried  on,  under  Captain 
Isaac  Chauncey,  to  wrest  control  of  that  lake  from  the 
British. 

But  the  Americans  had  no  vessels  on  Lake  Erie 
while  the  British  had  three  ships,  a  brig  and  two  schoon 
ers  carrying  a  total  of  72  guns — an  overwhelming  force 
under  the  existing  conditions.  The  surrender  of  Detroit 
(see  August  6,  1812)  brought  home  to  the  American 
government  the  imminence  of  catastrophe  when  the 
victorious  veterans  of  Wellington,  after  the  defeat  of 
Napoleon  in  1813,  would  come  to  America  and  sweep 
westward  through  Canada,  over  Lake  Erie,  and  through 
all  the  Mississippi  Valley.  The  first  thing  to  do  was  to 
build  a  fleet  on  Lake  Erie. 

At  this  time  an  officer  of  the  little  United  States 
Navy,  Master  Commandant  Oliver  Hazard  Perry,  twenty- 
seven  years  old,  was  in  command  of  a  fleet  of  so-called 
"gun  boats"  lying  in  the  harbor  of  Newport,  R.  I.  He 
was  born  at  South  Kingston,  -R.  I.,  Aug.  23,  1785.  In 
the  General  Navy  RegisteV,  his  record  of  rank  is  given 
thus:  Midshipman,  April  7,  1799;  Lieutenant,  Jan.  15, 
1807;  Commander  (old  style  "master  commandant") 
Aug.  28,  1812;  Captain,  Sept.  10,  1813. 

In  February,  1813,  he  was  ordered  to  the  Great 
Lakes.  On  March  16,  he  arrived  at  Erie — then  called 
Presque  Isle. 

Here  was  a  spacious  harbor  and  fine  anchorage  for 
ships,  except  that  there  was  a  bar  at  the  entrance,  on  which 
there  was  less  than  seven  feet  of  water.  This  bar,  of 
course,  prevented  the  -large  British  ships  from  getting  into 
the  harbor,  and  that  was  the  reason  why  the  Americans 
had  established  a  small  shipyard  there  before  Perry  arrived. 

Already  two  brigs — "sister  ships,"  afterwards  named 
Niagara  and  Lawrence,  were  being  built  of  white  oak,  black 
oak  and  pine,  newly  cut  from  the  nearby  forests.  They 
were  each  110  ft.  over  all  and  29  ft.  beam  planned  for  a 
displacement  tonnage  of  480  each.  Perry,  by  amazing 

216 


SEPTEMBER 

energy  and  strategy,  in  four  months  completed  the  two 
vessels,  brought  other  smaller  craft  from  the  Niagara  River 
at  Buffalo,  and  on  August  5,  1813,  took  to  the  open  lake 
with  a  fleet  of  ten  vessels  prepared  to  give  battle  to  the 
British.  The  latter  retired  to  the  upper  end  of  the  lake 
near  Detroit. 

In  the  meantime,  the  American  army  of  1,500  men 
under  Gen.  Wm.  Henry  Harrison  was  at  Fort  Meigs,  near 
what  is  now  Toledo.  The  British  army  of  2,000  men  under 
Colonel  Proctor  and  the  Indian  Chief  Tecumseh  was  at 
Maiden  in  Canada,  near  Detroit.  Perry  and  Harrison  con 
ferred,  late  in  August,  and  it  was  resolved  to  make  a  com 
bined  army  and  navy  attack  on  Maiden. 

The  British  naval  force  was  commanded  by  Capt. 
Robert  Heriot  Barclay,  a  brave  officer  who  had  fought 
under  Nelson  at  Trafalgar.  Capt.  Barclay  did  not  wait 
for  the  American  attack,  but  himself  took  the  offensive. 
Growing  short  of  provisions,  and  his  new  ship  the  Detroit 
being  ready,  he  felt  compelled  to  fight  at  once  in  order  to 
regain  control  of  the  Lake  though  his  force  was  inferior 
to  Perry's.  He  put  out  from  Maiden  to  seek  the  American 
fleet  which  was  at  anchor  in  Put-in-Bay,  a  fine  harbor  in 
Bass  Island,  the  largest  of  a  group  about  forty  miles  from 
Detroit. 

At  sunrise  on  Saturday  morning,  Sept.  10,  the  Amer 
ican  lookout  reported  the  British  fleet  fifteen  miles  away. 
At  once  Perry  prepared  for  action  and  at  9  o'clock  in  the 
morning  the  American  squadron  got  under  way,  the  wind 
favoring,  while  the  British  lay  to,  awaiting  the  attack. 

Immediately  on  leaving  the  harbor,  Perry  hoisted  a 
special  battle  flag  of  blue  muslin  to  the  mainmast  of  his 
flagship,  the  Lawrence.  The  flag  bore  the  inscription  in 
white:  "Don't  give  up  the  ship,"  the  dying  words  of  Cap 
tain  Lawrence  of  the  ill-fated  Chesapeake  in  the  famous 
battle  with  the  Shannon.  (See  June  1,  1813.) 

The  British  had  six  vessels,  of  which  the  Detroit,  a 
ship  of  490  tons,  was  the  largest.  The  total  tonnage  of  the 

217 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

fleet  was  1,460.  The  crews  numbered  440  men.  They  had 
a  total  of  64  guns  to  throw  459  pounds  of  metal  in  broad 
sides. 

Perry  had  nine  vessels  of  which  the  Lawrence  and 
Niagara,  rigged  as  brigs,  were  the  largest,  each  about  equal 
to  the  Detroit.  Six  of  his  vessels  were  small  schooners,  the 
largest  of  112  tons  and  the  others  all  less  than  100  tons. 

The  total  American  ship  tonnage  was  1,671.  The  total 
number  of  effective  men,  416.  The  fleet  carried  54  guns, 
able  to  throw  936  pounds  of  metal  in  broadside. 

The  Americans  had  overestimated  the  strength  of  the 
British.  In  fact,  Perry's  fleet  was  greatly  superior  in  weight 
of  metal,  but  not  so  in  ship  units  nor  men,  and  was  un 
doubtedly  inferior  in  the  technical  qualities  of  the  crews. 

After  two  and  a  half  hours  sailing,  the  Americans 
reached  a  distance  of  about  a  mile  from  the  British  line, 
which  was  formed  in  the  open  lake  within  sight  of  West 
Sister  Island.  Perry's  squadron  sailed  obliquely  against 
this  line,  his  vessels  in  a  somewhat  straggling  line.  His 
luck  was  with  him  at  the  beginning.  He  had  /'the  weather 
gage,"  the  wind  abaft  the  port  beam  of  his  vessels.  Thus 
he  could  advance  against  any  part  of  the  British  line,  but 
the  British  ships  could  not  advance  directly  against  the 
American  vessels. 

The  first  shot  was  fired  from  the  British  flagship,  the 
Detroit,  at  11 :45  a.  m.  In  ten  minutes  the  battle  became 
general,  every  vessel  being  engaged.  The  firing  was  at  a 
distance  ranging  from  1,000  to  3,500  feet.  As  the  Lawrence 
and  Niagara  were  very  much  superior  to  the  enemy  in  car- 
ronades — short  range  guns,  Perry  desired  to  quickly  get  in 
short  range,  and  the  Lawrence  was  worked  close  to  the 
British  line,  but  the  Niagara  was  badly  handled  by  her  com 
mander,  Master  Commandant  Elliot,  and  was  kept  far  away 
contrary  to  Perry's  design.  Thus  it  was  that  the  Lawrence 
was  exposed  to  a  terrible  fire  from  the  long  range  guns  of 
the  largest  British  ships  before  she  could  bring  her  short 
guns  to  bear.  But  Perry  worked  his  ship  down  to  close 

218 


SEPTEMBER 

range,  and  bearing  the  brunt  of  the  fire  from  the  British 
fleet,  for  more  than  two  hours  he  fought  the  battle  in  the 
Lawrence  until  she  was  torn  almost  to  pieces,  and  all  the 
while  the  Niagara  kept  away  firing  only  her  long  range 
guns.  Each  side  concentrated  its  fire  on  the  large  ships  of 
the  enemy.  The  British  on  the  Lawrence,  and  the  Amer 
icans  on  the  Detroit  and  Queen  Charlotte. 

The  carnage  on  the  Lawrence  was  unparalleled  in  naval 
warfare;  more  than  four-fifths  of  her  effective  officers  and 
men  were  killed  or  disabled  by  wounds.  But  also  the 
Detroit  had  suffered  fearfully  and  was  almost  dismantled, 
and  the  Queen  Charlotte's  commander  and  many  of  her 
crew  had  been  killed.  Of  all  the  large  ships  on  both  sides, 
only  the  Niagara  was  still  strong  and  comparatively  un 
harmed  in  this  direful  battle.  Yet,  the  British  had  the 
upper  hand,  and,  if  the  Lawrence  could  be  captured  or 
sunk,  they  might  gain  a  complete  victory.  So  the  British 
fire  to  the  last  was  concentrated  with  all  possible  fury  on 
the  Lawrence. 

At  this  moment,  when  Perry  stood  in  the  midst  of 
his  dead  and  dying  upon  the  deck,  and  it  seemed  to  his 
few  remaining  officers  and  men  of  the  Lawrence  that  all 
was  lost,  he  grasped  with  the  intuition  of  a  master  strate 
gist  the  desperate  condition  of  the  British  fleet,  notwith 
standing  his  own  ship  was  as  a  dead  hulk.  Swiftly  he 
called  a  few  men  to  man  a  small  boat.  He  entered  the 
boat  and  was  rowed  over  the  water  to  the  Niagara  while 
showers  of  musket  balls  fell  harmlessly  around  him.  He 
climbed  the  side  of  the  Niagara  and  took  command  of 
her.  He  turned  to  look  at  his  old  flagship,  and  just  then 
the  flag  of  the  Lawrence  was  hauled  down  in  surrender 
to  save  useless  mutilation  of  dead  and  dying  on  her  decks. 
The  British  ceased  firing  at  the  Lawrence  and  gave  three 
cheers,  many  of  them  believing  they  had  won  the  battle. 

And  now  came  one  of  the  most  astonishing-  reversals 
of  battle  fortune  in  all  the  history  of  the  United  States. 
At  2  :45  p.  m.  Perry,  with  a  freshened  breeze  on  his  port 

219 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

quarter,  signalled  all  his  ships  to  advance,  and  he,  in  the 
Niagara,  bore  down  first  to  break  the  British  line. 
Straight  on  he  went  and  poured  his  broadsides,  both  port 
and  starboard,  into  five  of  the  British  ships.  The 
Niagara's  fire  was  terribly  effective.  The  two  largest 
British  ships  ran  afoul  of  each  other  and  lay  helpless. 

In  fifteen  minutes  after  Perry  began  his  attack  in  the 
Niagara,  the  British  flagship  surrendered.  Immediately 
three  others  gave  up.  The  t*yo  last  tried  to  escape  but 
were  overhauled  and  captured. 

And,  at  the  last,  there  was  a  dramatic  scene  never  to 
be  forgotten  in  American  history.  Perry  jumped  into  a 
small  boat  and  was  rowed  back  to  the  Lawrence  which 
had  drifted  away  out  of  the  battle  zone.  There  he  stood 
on  the  quarter  deck,  among  his  dear  dead  comrades,  and 
there  came  the  British  officers  one  by  one,  stepping  care 
fully  over  the  bodies  of  the  slain,  to  deliver  their  swords 
to  the  American  commander. 

Then  he  wrote  with  pencil  on  the  back  of  an  old  let 
ter  resting  it  upon  the  top  of  his  cap,  the  immortal  dis 
patch  to  General  Harrison: 

"We  have  met  the  enemy  and  they  are  ours; 
two  ships,  two  brigs,  a  schooner  and  a  sloop." 

The  American  loss  was  27  killed  and  96  wounded,  of 
whom  three  died.  The  British  loss  was  41  killed  and  94 
wounded.  Of  the  crew  of  the  Lawrence,  22  were  killed 
and  61  wounded — a  total  of  83  out  of  a  crew  of  105  effec 
tives. 

The  heroism  of  the  British  in  the  battle  was  as  great 
as  that  of  the  Americans.  They  were  beaten  only  by 
superior  force  and  fortune,  and  the  genius  of  Perry. 

Perry's  victory  changed  in  a  day  the  whole  course  of 
the  war  west  of  the  Alleghenies.  Measured  by  things 
directly  dependent  upon  the  outcome  of  the  contest,  the 
Battle  of  Lake  Erie  was  the  most  important  of  all  the 
naval  and  military  events  of  the  War  of  1812. 

Sept.  10  (1846)— Patent  for  the  first  sewing  machine 
220 


SEPTEMBER 

in  the  world  issued  to  Elias  Howe  of  Boston,  year  1846. 
The  journeymen  tailors  of  Boston  fiercely  opposed  the 
invention,  fearing  that  it  would  destroy  their  means  of 
livelihood. 

Sept.  11  (1609) — Henry  Hudson  in  the  little  ship 
Half  Moon  discovered  and  entered  the  river  which  was 
given  his  name,  year  1609. 

Sept.  11  (1777)— Battle  of  Brandywine,  Pa.,  year 
1777.  British  victory.  General  Howe  (British,  17,000 
men)  vs.  General  Washington  (American,  11,000  men). 
The  battle  was  fought  to  save  Philadelphia  from  the 
British.  Washington  had  but  a  forlorn  hope  of  victory. 
His  army  was  badly  defeated.  British  loss,  600  killed 
and  wounded.  American  loss,  1,200  killed,  wounded  and 
taken  prisoners.  In  this  battle  the  British  showed  their 
best  strategy  and  tactics  of  the  whole  war.  This  was 
the  first  battle  in  which  the  new  Flag  of  the  United 
States — the  Stars  and  Stripes,  was  carried  as  the  official 
standard  of  the  American  army. 

BATTLE  OF  LAKE  CHAMPLAIN 

Sept.  11,  1814 

The  outcome  of  the  Battle  of  Lake  Champlain,  in  the 
year  1814,  was  a  vital  American  victory.  The  contestants 
were  Master  Commander  (Commodore)  Thomas  Mac- 
donough  (American,  14  small  vessels,  total  2,244  tons,  86 
guns,  882  men)  vs.  Capt.  (Acting  Commodore)  George 
Downie  (British,  16  small  vessels,  total  2,402  tons,  92 
guns,  937  men). 

On  the  western  bank  of  Lake  Champlain  at  Platts- 
burg  was  a  British  army  of  11,000  men,  bent  southward, 
in  a  drive  which  had  for  its  object  the  wedging  apart  of 
New  England  and  the  middle  States  and  the  capture  of 
New  York.  The  plan  was,  in  essence,  the  same  as  that 
which  had  been  entrusted  to  Burgoyne  in  the  Revolu 
tionary  War  and  which  had  disastrously  failed.  To  meet 
this  advance,  the  Americans  had  a  land  force  of  2,000 
troops  under  Gen.  Alexander  Macomb,  and  the  naval 

221 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

force  under  Commodore  Macdonough — a  regular  officer 
28  years  old.  The  British  hastily  constructed  a  fleet 
equal  to  the  American,  for  they  believed  it  would  be  im 
practicable  to  advance  with  their  arrny  while  the  Ameri 
cans  held  control  of  the  lake. 

The  American  fleet  was  anchored  in  Cumberland 
Bay  at  Plattsburg  when  the  British  fleet  sailed  in  and 
began  the  attack  on  the  morning  of  Sept.  11,  the  day 
being  Sunday.  There  followed  a  fierce  battle  lasting  two 
and  one  half  "hours.  The  British  commander  was  killed 
and  the  British  fleet  defeated.  After  the  battle,  Commo 
dore  Macdonough  sent  the  following  message  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy:  "Sir:  The  Almighty  has  been 
pleased  to  grant  us  a  signal  victory  on  Lake  Champlain 
in  the  capture  of  one  frigate,  one  brig  and  two  sloops  of 
war  of  the  enemy."  This  message  has  more  of  the  quality 
of  reverential  modesty  than  that  sent  by  Perry  after  the 
Battle  of  Lake  Erie,  though  the  Perry  message  is  more  to 
the  liking  of  the  American  people.  Several  of  the  smaller 
craft  of  the  British  fleet,  propelled  by  oars,  fled  and  es 
caped.  The  American  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was 
112;  the  British  loss  was  200. 

After  the  battle,  the  British  land  force  retreated  pre 
cipitately  back  to  Canada  and  the  menace  of  British  in 
vasion  was  permanently  lifted. 

Naval  officers  and  other  historians  naturally  discuss 
this  battle  and  the  Battle  of  Lake  Erie  as  the  two  great 
naval  battles  of  the  War  of  1812.  Colonel  Theodore 
Roosevelt  writes  that  the  Battle  of  Lake  Champlain  was 
"the  greatest  naval  battle  of  the  war." 

Admiral  A.  T.  Mahan  in  "Sea  Power  in  Its  Relation 
to  the  War  of  1812"  declares :  "The 'Battle  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain  more  nearly  than  any  other  incident  of  the  War  of 
1812  merits  the  word  "decisive' — decisive  not  merely  in 
relation  to  immediate  military  results,  but  in  relation  to 
political  questions  involved  in  the  pending  negotiations 
for  peace." 

222 


SEPTEMBER 

Historian  John  B.  McMaster  in  his  "History  of  the 
People  of  the  United  States"  asserts :  "The  fight  in  Platts- 
burg  Bay  was  undoubtedly  the  greatest  naval  battle  of 
the  war,  and  the  victory  stamped  Macdonough  as  the 
ablest  sea  captain  our  country  produced  down  to  the 
Revolution/' 

Despite  these  opinions  by  men  of  high  authority,  the 
author  of  this  volume  holds  to  the  conviction  that  the 
Battle  of  Lake  Erie  was  the  greater  event,  and  so  holds 
the  mass  of  the  American  people.  (See  Battle  of  Lake 
Erie,  Sept.  10,  1813.) 

Sept.  11  (1857) — Mountain  Meadows  (Utah)  mas 
sacre,  year  1857.  A  party  of  emigrants  known  as  "the 
Arkansas  Company"  travelling  westward  to  California  in 
wagons,  while  passing  through  Utah  were  attacked  by 
Indians  under  the  direction  of  Mormons  and  all  were 
killed  except  a  few  children.  It  was  charged  that  the 
massacre  was  planned  by  the  heads  of  the  Mormon 
Church.  Twenty  years  after  (March  23,  1877),  Bishop 
John  D.  Lee  of  the  Mormon  Church,  who  confessed  the 
murder,  was  executed  by  shooting,  on  the  ground  of  the 
massacre. 

Sept.  12  (1826) — Abduction  of  William  Morgan  from 
Canandaigua,  N.  Y.,  year  1826.  Morgan  was  a  Freemason 
who  had  announced  his  intention  to  publish  a  book  ex 
posing  what  he  alleged  to  be  the  secrets  of  Freemasonry. 
He  was  seized  at  night  by  a  small  party  of  unknown  men 
and  driven  away  in  a  carriage  and  never  again  was  seen 
or  heard  from  by  his  friends.  The  abduction  was  blamed 
on  the  Masonic  fraternity,  though  without  any  material 
proof.  An  anti-Masonic  wave  spread  over  the  country. 
The  National  Anti-Masonic  political  party  was  created, 
which,  on  Sept.  26,  1832,  met  in  convention  at  Philadel 
phia,  having  112  delegates,  and  nominated  William  Wirt 
of  Virginia  for  President.  He  received  25,000  votes  in  a 
total  of  1,250,000.  The  party  soon  after  disappeared. 

Sept.   12    (I860)— William  Walker,  adventurer  and 
223 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

most  famous  of  American  filibustered,  was  shot  after  a 
trial  by  courtmartial,  at  Truxillo,  Honduras,  Central 
America,  year  1860.  He  was  born  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in 
1824.  Was  a  physician,  journalist,  lawyer  and  military 
leader.  During  seven  years,  from  1853  to  1860,  he  or 
ganized  filibustering  expeditions  aiming  at  the  conquest 
of  Sonora  (Mexico),  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica  and  Hon 
duras,  presumably  with  intent  to  annex  these  countries  to 
the  United  States.  He  made  himself  president  of  Nica 
ragua  in  1856  and  was  recognized  by  President  Buchanan. 
He  was  driven  out  the  next  year.  Finally,  in  1860,  he 
set  out  from  New  Orleans  with  a  small  band  of  adven 
turers  to  create  a  revolution  in  Honduras.  He  and  his 
band  were  captured  by  a  British  man-o'-war  and  deliv 
ered  to  the  Honduras  authorities,  who  quickly  court- 
martialed  and  sentenced  him  to  death.  The  Walker  epi 
sode  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  in  American  history. 
He  was  an  agent  of  the  powerful  secret  political  society 
called  "Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle"  that  planned  to 
extend  slavery  by  conquering  Mexico  and  Central 
America. 

Sept.  13  (1759)— Battle  of  the  Plains  of  Abraham 
(Quebec),  year  1759.  Gen.  James  Wolfe  (English,  8,000 
men  vs.  Marquis  de  Montcalm  (French,  7,500  men,  Ca 
nadians  and  Indians).  The  most  decisive  victory  gained 
by  the  English  over  the  French  during  the  long  struggle 
between  the  two  nations  for  supremacy  in  America.  Eng 
lish  loss,  600  killed  and  wounded;  French  loss,  500  killed 
and  1,000  (including  wounded)  made  prisoners.  Wolfe 
and  Montcalm  both  fell  mortally  wounded  at  nearly  the 
same  moment.  Wolfe  died  on  the  battlefield.  Montcalm 
died  next  day.  Five  days  after  the  battle  (on  Sept.  18) 
Quebec,  the  strongest  fortress  in  America,  was  surren 
dered  to  the  English  and  all  Canada  came  under  British 
dominion. 

Sept.  13  (1847)— Battle  of  Chapultepec  (Mexico), 
the  last  battle  of  the  Mexican  War,  year  1847.  General 

224 


SEPTEMBER 

Scott  (American,  4,000  men)  vs.  General  Santa  Anna 
(Mexican,  4,000  men).  American  victory.  The  Castle 
of  Chapultepec  was  the  last  fortress  defending  the  city  of 
Mexico.  It  was  captured  after  a  furious  bombardment 
and  assault  by  the  Americans.  American  loss — total  143. 
Mexican  loss— total  1,800. 

Sept.  14  (1752)— Great  Britain  began  the  use  of  the 
Gregorian  Calendar,  substituting  it  for  the  system  known 
as  the  Julian  Calendar,  year  1752.  The  British  Parlia 
ment  ordered  that  the  day  following  Sept.  2,  1752,  should 
be  Sept.  14,  1752.  According  to  this  calendar,  which  is 
now  used  by  all  European  and  American  nations  except 
ing  the  Greek  Catholic  (Russian)  and  Mohammedan  ec 
clesiastical  systems,  there  are  no  dates  Sept.  3,  4,  5,  6,  7, 
8,  9,  10,  11/12  and  13  of  the  year  1752  in  English  of 
American  history.  (See  Dec.  11.) 

"THE  STAR-SPANGLED  BANNER"  WRITTEN  BY 
FRANCIS  SCOTT  KEY 

Sept.  14,  1814 

In  August,  1814,  the  great  British  offensive  of  the 
War  of  1812  was  begun.  Three  widely  separate  drives 
or  expeditions  had  been  planned  by  the  British  Ministry 
to  be  carried  on  simultaneously  in  this  offensive.  An 
army  was  to  drive  south  from  Canada  to  New  York  cut 
ting  off  the  New  England  States  from  the  rest  of  the 
Union  (see  Battle  of  Lake  Champlain,  Sept.  11).  An 
other  army  was  to  ascend  the  Mississippi  River  (see 
Battle  of  New  Orleans,  Jan.  8).  A  fleet  was  to  take  pos 
session  of  Delaware  and  Chesapeake  bays,  carrying  an 
army  of  4,000  men  which  was  to  capture  Washington 
and  Baltimore,  thus  aiding,  by  diversion,  the  other  two 
drives. 

This  naval  expedition  succeeded  in  greater  degree 
than  either  of  the  two  others.  The  British  fleet  carried 
the  British  land  force  up  Chesapeake  Bay  to  the  Patux- 
ent  River  whe're  it  was  landed.  It  then  marched  forty 

225 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

miles  to  Washington  and  captured  that  city.  (See  Aug. 
24.)  It  so  happened  that  the  British  forces,  in  retiring 
from  Washington,  had  taken,  as  a  prisoner,  one  Dr.  Wil 
liam  Beane,  a  non-combatant,  of  Upper  Marlboro,  Md., 
who  was  charged  with  some  vague  offense.  At  this  time, 
among  the  officials  of  the  administration  of  President 
Madison,  was  the  District  Attorney  at  Washington, 
Francis  Scott  Key,  thirty-four  years  old,  the  son  of  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution;  a  modest,  cultured  man,  by 
right  of  brains  and  character  one  of  the  leading  men  of 
the  State  of  Maryland.  Key  was  a  neighbor  and  friend 
of  Dr.  Beane.  He  put  forth  all  his  energy  to  obtain  the 
release  of  his  friend.  He  obtained  permission  from  the 
President  to  go  to  the  British  admiral,  under  a  flag  of 
truce.  He  hurried  to  Baltimore,  and  with  an  American 
regular  military  officer  bearing  the  flag  of  truce,  and  a 
small  party  of  friends,  set  sail  in  the  little  cartel  ship 
Minden  down  Chesapeake  Bay  in  search  of  the  British 
fleet.  Obviously,  he  did  not  know  that  the  British  were 
just  then  moving  to  attack  Baltimore. 

They  found  the  British  fleet  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pot 
omac.  Admiral  Cochrane  received  them  courteously  and 
listened  to  the  eloquent  pleading  of  Key  in  behalf  of  Dr. 
Beane.  The  British  admiral,  a  typical  gentleman  of  the 
British  navy,  impressed  by  the  arguments  of  Attorney 
Key,  at  once  freed  Dr.  Beane,  but,  by  right  of  recognized 
rules  of  war,  detained  him  and  also  Key  and  the  others 
on  board  the  Minden.  For  the  British  were  about  to 
proceed  to  the  attack  on  Baltimore,  and  naturally  would 
not  allow  Key  and  his*party  to  sail  away  and  carry  to 
Baltimore  advance  information  about  the  contemplated 
movement  of  the  British  fleet  and  army.  So  the  little  ship 
Minden  was  assigned  to  a  rear  position  under  the  guns  of 
the  British  men  o'  war,  and  thus  the  Minden  sailed,  to 
gether  with  sixteen  British  warships,  for  Baltimore,  a 
hundred  miles  away. 

The  chief  military  defense  of  Baltimore  was  Fort 
226 


SEPTEMBER 

McHenry,  built  of  brick,  stone  and  earth,  overlooking  the 
harbor.  It  was  garrisoned  by  a  force  of  about  1,000  sailor 
men  o'  warsmen,  regulars  and  volunteers.  Also  the  cit 
izens  of  Baltimore  had  organized  to  protect  their  city. 
They  formed  the  bulk  of  a  defense  force  of  14,000  men 
under  Gen.  Samuel  Smith. 

On  Sept.  12,  the  land  force  which  had  captured 
Washington  and  returned  to  the  fleet,  was  landed  near 
Baltimore,  and  marched  to  attack  the  city  on  the  land 
ward  side,  while  the  fleet  would  attack  Fort  McHenry 
from  the  water  front.  In  the  first  skirmish,  Gen.  Robert 
Ross,  the  British  commander  of  the  land  force,  was  killed, 
but  the.  force  pushed  on  to  a  line  three  miles  from  the 
city  and  there  stopped  to  await  the  destruction  of  Fort 
McHenry  by  the  fleet. 

At  sunrise  on  Sept.  13  the  bombardment  by  the  fleet 
commenced.  No  fortress  nor  other  military  defense  on 
the  western  continent  had  ever  before  been  attacked  by 
sixteen  warships  simultaneously  firing  18  and  24  pound 
shot  and  shell — the  latter  called  "bombs"  by  unmilitary 
people;  the  guns  from  which  these  projectiles  were  fired, 
were  the  newest  and  heaviest  of  that  time.  Therefore,  in 
any  list  of  great  naval  bombardments  of  the  world,  this 
attack  on  Fort  McHenry  should  be  placed  among  the 
very  first.  It  was  of  immense  interest  to  the  naval  con 
structors  of  the  world. 

All  day  and  night  the  ships  fired  steadily  at  the 
fortress,  delivering  a  total  of  1,700  projectiles,  of  which 
about  400  struck  the  walls  of  the  fortification  or  fell  with 
in  the  inclosure,  killing  but  four  Americans  and  wound 
ing  twenty-four. 

This,  then,  was  the  momentous  spectacle  that  Fran 
cis  Scott  Key  witnessed  from  the  deck  of  the  little  cartel 
ship  Mind  en  in  the  rear  of  the  British  squadron.  He  was 
in  danger  only  from  occasional  shots  from  the  Fort.  In 
the  bright  sunlight,  he  could  see  every  fold  of  the  Ameri 
can  flag,  waving  and  shimmering  in  the  soft  September 

227 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

breeze,  above  the  ramparts  of  the  fortress.  The  British 
hoped  and  Key  feared,  each  moment  of  the  early  hours, 
that  the  fortress  would  fall  and  the  white  flag  of  sur 
render  be  hoisted  in  its  place.  Yet  the  day  marched  on, 
timing  the  battle  explosions,  through  forenoon  and  after 
noon.  The  setting  sun  glinted  its  last  rays  on  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  still  proudly  waving  aloft,  and  the  poet  on 
the  Minden  saw  with  swelled  heart  yearning  the  long 
kiss  of  dying  sunlight  upon  the  flag  he  loved. 

Nightfall  brought  no  cessation  of  the  conflict.  The 
British  ships  increased  their  fire.  They  frequently  ex 
changed  signals  with  their  flagship  by  red  glaring  rockets. 
Now  was  the  feverish  vigil  for  Key.  He  walked  the  deck 
with  the  American  flag-of-truce  officer  J.  S.  Skinner,  his 
single  companion.  They  watched  every  shell  streaking 
its  fuse  light  through  the  darkness,  and  they  listened  for 
the  explosion;  if  it  did  not  explode,  they  were  thankful. 
When  the  signal  rockets  lighted  the  fleet  about  them, 
they  strained  their  eyes,  in  vain,  to  catch  an  instant 
glimpse  of  the  fortress  and  the  flag.  But  Key  knew,  for 
"The  rocket's  red  glare,  the  bombs  bursting  in  air, 
Gave  proof  through  the  night  that  our  flag  was 

still  there" 

It  was  as  if  the  words  were  spoken  there  and  then  in  the 
darkness  by  the  spirit  of  battle.  The  poet  heard  and  re 
peated  them.  Then  was  conceived  the  first  stanza  of  the 
poem  "The  Star-Spangled  Banner." 

In  a  little  silence  between  gun  thunders,  Key  and  his 
companion  heard  the  soft  music  of  midnight  bells — eight 
bells  on  each  of  the  warships.  The  British  ceased  not 
firing.  One,  two,  three  o'clock  sounded  from  the  same 
bells  through  the  darkness,  with  no  let  up  of  the  battle. 
And  then,  a  little  later,  there  was  a  long  stillness.  Here 
is  what  Chief  Justice  Roger  B.  Taney,  brother-in-law  of 
Key,  wrote,  saying  it  was  the  story  told  him  by  the  poet 
immediately  after  the  bombardment : 

t"It   [the  cannonading]    suddenly  ceased  some  time 

228 


SEPTEMBER 

before  day ;  and,  as  they  had  no  communication  with  any 
of  the  enemy's  ships,  they  did  not  know  whether  the  fort 
had  surrendered  or  the  attack  upon  it  had  been  aban 
doned.  They  paced  the  deck  the  residue  of  the  night  in 
painful  suspense,  watching  with  intense  anxiety  for  the 
return  of  day,  and  looking  every  few  minutes  at  their 
watches  to  see  how  long  they  must  wait  for  it;  and,  as 
soon  as  it  dawned,  and  before  it  was  light  enough  to  see 
objects  at  a  distance,  their  glasses  were  turned  to  the 
fort,  uncertain  whether  they  should  see  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  or  the  flag  of  the  enemy." 

A  few  moments  of  misty  searching  with  their  glasses, 
and  then  a  beam  of  morning  showed  the  Flag — the  flag 
of  their  hearts.  "Our  flag  is  still  there!"  cried  Key, 
loosening  the  pent  up  emotion  of  the  night  now  ended. 
For  the  greatest  naval  bombardment  directed  against  the 
American  flag  had  failed.  "Blessed  vigil !  That  its  prayers 
were  not  in  vain !"  exclaims  Henry  Watterson ;  "glorious 
vigil!  that  it  gave  us  the  'Star  Spangled  Banner!' >: 

On  that  14th  of  September,  1814,  there  upon  the  deck 
of  the  Mind  en,  while  awaiting  the  order  for  the  final  re 
lease  of  the  Americans,  Francis  Scott  Key  wrote  a  rough 
draft  of  the  stanzas  of  his  poem  and  song,  upon  the  back 
of  the  sheets  of  a  letter  he  happened  to  have  in  his  pocket. 
Later  in  the  day  came  the  message  from  the  British  ad 
miral,  that  he  and  his  party  were  free  to  go  ashore.  From 
British  ofHcers  he  learned  that  the  whole  land  and  sea  at 
tack  on  Baltimore  had  failed,  and  that  the  British  army 
and  fleet  were  withdrawing. 

He  finished  the  poem  in  the  small  boat  which  was 
rowed  to  the  shore  on  that  day,  and  that  same  evening 
he  wrote  out  a  clear  copy  at  his  hotel  in  Baltimore.  Next 
day  he  showed  it  to  his  kinsman,  Judge  Nicholson,  who 
was  delighted  with  it  and  immediately  sent  it  to  the  office 
of  the  Baltimore  American  newspaper  where  it  was  put 
in  type  and  published  in  the  next  issue  of  the  American, 
on  Sept.  21,  under  the  title  "Defense  of  Fort  McHenry." 

229 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

The  poet  stipulated  that  his   name  be   not  printed   as 
author,  and  so  it  was  printed  anonymously. 

It  is  said  that  copies  were  struck  off  in  hand  bill  form 
under  the  title,  "Bombardment  of  Fort  McHenry."  The 
most  probable  story  tells  that  the  song  was  first  sung  in  a 
little  tavern  kept  by  the  Widow  Berling,  near  the  Holli- 
day  Street  Theater,  where,  one  morning  shortly  after  the 
bombardment,  there  gathered  a  number  of  volunteer  offi 
cers  of  the  American  army  of  defense.  One  of  them, 
Captain  Benjamin  Edess,  was  a  master  printer  and  had 
brought  a  copy  of  the  song  which  he  had  just  printed  on 
his  press.  He  read  it  aloud  to  the  assembly,  and  stated 
that  the  old  air,  "To  Anacreon  in  Heaven,"  which  was 
quite  well  known  in  America,  had  been  adapted  to  it  by 
the  author.  One  of  the  group  was  Ferdinand  Durand,  a 
recognized  vocalist  who  had  sung  in  the  nearby  theater. 
Durand,  like  most  of  the  others,  was  familiar  with  the  old 
tune.  Whereupon,  says  Col.  John  L.  Warner  in  a  paper 
read  before  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society  in  1867, 
"Ferdinand  Durand  mounted  aa  old  rush  bottomed  chair 
and  sang  this  admirable  song  for  the  first  time  in  our 
Union,  the  chorus  of  each  verse  being  reechoed  by  those 
present  with  infinite  harmony  of  voices.  It  was  sung  sev 
eral  times  that  morning." 

Louis  C.  Elson,  in  "The  National  Music  of  America," 
convincingly  traces  the  melody  to  an  English  drinking 
song,  composed  by  Dr.  Samuel  Arnold,  composer  to  His 
Majesty's  Chapel,  at  some  time  between  1770  and  1775,  or 
by  John  Stafford  Smith  who,  it  is  claimed  by  some,  tran 
scribed  it  from  an  old  French  tune.  At  any  rate,  the  air 
was  put  to  a  set  of  verses  attributed  to  Ralph  Tomlinson, 
president  of  the  Anacreonic  Society  of  London,  "a  wild 
Bacchanalian  club"  which  held  its  meetings  at  the  "Crown 
and  Anchor"  tavern  in  the  Strand,  London,  at  the  time  of 
the  beginning  of  the  American  Revolution.  It  may  be 
doubted  that  the  London  club  was  a  "wild  Bacchanalian" 
body.  Its  members  were  certainly  men  of  high  culture 

230 


SEPTEMBER 

as  is  proved  by  the  music  and  words  of  "Anacreon  in 
Heaven." 

Sept.  14  (1847) — City  of  Mexico  captured  by  the 
American  army  under  Gen.  Winfield  Scott,  year  1847. 
Scott's  campaign  against  the  city  began  on  Aug.  7,  1847, 
and  lasted  38  days,  during  which  time  his  army  advanced 
60  miles  and  fought  four  important  battles,  all  American 
victories.  His  army  numbered  11,000  men.  The  Mexi 
can  army  opposed  to  him  numbered  about  20,000  men 
under  General  Santa  Anna.  The  American  loss  in  the 
campaign  was  2,700  killed  and  wounded.  The  Mexican 
loss  was  7,000  killed  and  wounded,  and  3,730  taken  pris 
oners.  The  capture  of  the  city  ended  the  military  oper 
ations  of  the  war. 

Sept.  14  (1901)— President  McKinley  died,  at  Buf 
falo,  N.  Y.,  from  the  wound  inflicted  by  the  assassin 
Leon  Czolgosz,  year  1901.  (See  Jan.  29.) 

Sept.  15  (1789) — James  Fenimore  Cooper,  author, 
born  at  Burlington,  N.  J.,  year  1789';  died  Sept.  14,  1851. 
He  was  the  greatest  of  the  early  novelists  of  America. 
His  first  novel,  "Precaution,"  was  published  in  1810.  It 
was  a  failure.  His  second,  "The  Spy,"  published  in  1821, 
was  a  great  success.  Immediately  he  began  the 
"Leatherstocking  Tales"  of  which  "The  Pioneer"  was 
first.  He  wrote  altogether  sixty-seven  books,  about  half 
of  them  novels.  The  best  known  are  "The  Spy"  (1821), 
"The  Pilot"  (1823),  "The  Last  of  the  Mohicans"  (1826), 
"The  Red  Rover"  (1828),  and  "The  Deerslayer"  (1841). 

Sept.  15  (1840) — Patent  for  a  knitting  machine  is 
sued  to  the  inventor,  Isaac  Wixan  Lamb  of  Salem,  Mass., 
year  1840. 

Sept.  15  (1857)— William  Howard  Taft,  twenty- 
seventh  President  of  the  United  States,  born  at  Cincin 
nati,  O.,  year  1857.  Nominated  by  the  Republicfti  party 
for  President  in  1908  and  elected.  Electoral  vote  (48 
States):  Taft,  321;  William  J.  Bryan  (Democrat),  162. 
Inaugurated  March  4,  1909,  and  served  four  years.  Re- 

231 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

nominated  in  1912  and  defeated.  Electoral  vote :  Taft,  8 ; 
Wilson,  435 ;  Roosevelt,  88.  The  chief  events  of  his  ad 
ministration  were  the  Supreme  Court  decisions  declaring 
the  Standard  Oil  Company  and  the  American  Tobacco 
Company  unlawful  combinations  (1911),  the  Sixteenth 
and  Seventeenth  Amendments  to  the  Constitution 
(1913),  Parcels  Post  system  inaugurated  (Jan.  1,  1913), 
and  wireless  telegraphic  communication  with  Europe  es 
tablished  (March  22,  1913). 

Sept.  15  (1895) — Patent  for  gasolene  automobiles  in 
America  issued  to  George  B.  Selden,  year  1895.  This  is 
the  chief  basic  patent  of  the  American  automobile. 

Sept.  16  (1776) — Battle  of  Harlem.  A  portion  of 
Washington's  army  from  the  high  land  in  upper  Man 
hattan  (now  Washington  Heights  in  New  York)  at 
tacked  the  advance  of  the  British  army  in  the  low  lands 
just  north  of  what  is  now  Central  Park,  New  York.  The 
Americans  were  led  by  Col.  George  Clinton  and  were 
reinforced  by  Generals  Greene  and  Putnam.  The  British 
were  commanded  by  Colonel  Leslie.  After  a  desperate 
engagement  lasting  two  hours  and  raging  up  the  hill 
sides  and  over  the  ground  now  the  site  of  Columbia  Uni 
versity,  the  Americans  retired  safely  to  their  position 
above  the  Harlem  valley.  The  number  of  engaged  was 
about  1,500  on  each  side.  The  American  loss  was  60 
killed  and  wounded,  including  Colonel  Knowlton  who 
was  killed;  the  British  loss  was  70  killed  and  210 
wounded.  The  battle  is  important  because  it  revived  the 
spirits  of  the  American  troops  which  had  sunk  to  lowest 
depths  following  their  defeat  in  the  Battle  of  Long  Island 
two  weeks  before. 

Sept.  16  (1786)— Act  establishing  a  United  States 
Mint  for  the  coinage  of  money,  passed  by  the  twelfth  ses 
sion  ofl*the  Continental  Congress,  year  1786. 

Sept.  16  (1823) — Francis  Parkman,  author,  born  at 
Boston,  year  1823 ;  died  near  Boston,  Nov.  8,  1893.  Recog 
nized  by  scholars  a^the  greatest  American  historian  deal- 

232 


SEPTEMBER 

ing  with  the  settlement  of  the  West  and  Canada.  His 
best  known  work  is  "The  California  and  Oregon  Trail" 
(1849).  His  other  works  are  "The  Conspiracy  of  Pon- 
tiac"  (1851),  "The  Pioneers  of  France  in  the  New  World" 
(1865),  "The  Jesuits  in  North  America"  (1867),  "The 
Oid  Regime  in  Canada"  (1874),  and  "Montcalm  and 
Wolfe"  (1884). 

Sept.  16  (1893)— The  Cherokee  "Strip,"  a  portion  of 
territory  of  Oklahoma  comprising  6,000,000  acres  was 
thrown  open  to  the  public  for  free  settlement,  year  1893. 
When  the  signal  was  given,  100,000  persons  rushed  over 
the  border  line  seeking  sites  for  homes. 

WASHINGTON'S  FAREWELL  ADDRESS  TO  THE 
PEOPLE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

September  17,  1796 

It  is  known  that  Washington,  during  his  first  term 
as  president,  had  prepared,  with  the  assistance  of  James 
Madison,  a  farewell  address  to  be  published  on  his  retire 
ment,  as  he  had  planned,  at  the  end  of  his  first  term,  on 
March  4,  1793.  But  the  First  War  of  the  Nations,  start 
ing  with  the  French  Revolution  in  1789,  had  involved 
nearly  all  Europe,  and  the  United  States  was  imminently 
liable  to  be  dragged  into  the  conflict;  with  this  in  mind, 
the  people  overwhelmingly  besought  Washington  to  re 
main  at  the  head  of  the  new  nation,  and  so  he  was  re- 
elected  to  a  second  term.  He  allowed  the  farewell  ad 
dress  to  rest  until  May,  1796,  when  he  sent  the  paper,  in 
its  rough  state,  to  Alexander  Hamilton  who  was  then  his 
closest  adviser  and  recognized  as  the  foremost  publicist  in 
America.  Washington  wrote,  in  his  letter  to  Hamilton, 
referring  to  the  address : 

"If  you  should  think  it  best  to  throw  the  whole  into 
a  different  form,  let  me  request,  notwithstanding,  that  my 
draft  be  returned  to  me  (along  with  yours)  with  such 
amendments  and  corrections  as  to  render  it  as  perfect  as 
the  formation  is  susceptible  of;  curtailed,  if  too  verbose, 

233 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

and  relieved  of  all  tautology  -not  necessary  to  enforce  the 
idea  in  the  original  or  quoted  part.  My  wish  is  that  the 
whole  may  appear  in  plain  style ;  and  be  handed  the  pub 
lic  in  an  honest,  unaffected,  simple  garb." 

He  had  his  wish.  We  do  not  know  how  much  he  was 
indebted  to  the  two  literary  masters,  Madison  and  Hamrl- 
ton.  The  American  people  will  always  believe  that  the 
Farewell  Address  is  Washington's  very  own — the  soul 
and  manner  of  it.  Washington  Irving  writes : 

"The  whole  came  under  the  supervision  of  Washing 
ton  ;  and  the  instrument,  as  submitted  to  the  press,  was  in 
his  handwriting,  with  many  ultimate  corrections  and  al 
terations.  Washington  had  no  pride  of  authorship ;  his 
object  was  always  to  effect  the  purpose  in  hand,  and  for 
that  he  occasionally  invoked  assistance,  to  insure  a  plain 
and  clear  exposition  of  his  thoughts  and  intentions.  The 
address  certainly  breathes  his  spirit  throughout,  is  in  per 
fect  accordance  with  his  words  and  actions,  and  'in  an 
honest,  unaffected,  simple  garb/  embodies  the  system  of 
policy  on  which  he  had  acted  throughout  his  administra 
tion.  It  was  published  in  September  in  a  Philadelphia 
paper  called  the  Daily  Advertiser." 

Woodrow  Wilson,  in  his  book  "George  Washington" 
wrote  as  one  who  felt  thrillingly  the  human  greatness  of 
his  predecessor: 

"On  the  17th  day  of  September,  1796,  he  published  to 
the  people  a  farewell  address,  quick  with  the  solemn  elo 
quence  men  had  come  to  expect  from  him.  'It  was  de 
signed.'  he  said,  'in  a  more  special  manner  for  the  yeo 
manry  of  the  country,'  and  spoke  the  advice  he  hoped  they 
might  take  to  heart.  'Twas  a  noble  document.  No 
thoughtful  man  could  read  it  without  emotion  knowing 
how  it  spoke  in  all  its  solemn  sentences  the  great  charac 
ter  of  the  man  whose  career  was  ended." 

The  Farewell  Address  contains  about  2,100  words, 
which  can  be  printed  in  one  and  three  quarters  columns 
of  the  average  daily  newspaper.  It  is  found  in  every  pub- 

234 


SEPTEMBER 

lie  library  of  the  country  and  in  text  books  supplied  to 
nearly  every  public  school. 

Sept.  17  (1862) — Battle  of  Antietam,  Md.  (or  Sharps- 
burg  as  it  is  called  by  Confederate  historians),  year  1862. 
Gen.  Geo.  B.  McClellan  (Union,  87,000  men)  vs.  Gen. 
Robert  E.  Lee  (Confederate,  40,000  men).  The  battle  be 
gan  at  4  p.  m.  on  Sept.  16  with  preliminary  skirmishing. 
The  night  of  the  16th  was  spent  quietly.  The  great  strug 
gle  began  about  6:30  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  Sept.  17, 
and  lasted  incessantly  all  day  until  darkness  of  evening. 
Tactically  it  was  a  drawn  battle.  The  Confederates  held 
most  of  the  ground  upon  which  they  fought,  for  24  hours 
after  the  battle,  and  then  retired  in  good  order,  unpur- 
sued.  On  the  other  hand,  the  results  were  advantageous 
to  the  Union  cause.  Lee's  invasion  of  the  North  was 
stopped,  and  he  was  forced  back,  into  Virginia.  The 
Union  loss  was  2,010  killed,  9,416  wounded  and  1,043  miss 
ing,  total  12,469.  The  Confederate  loss  was  never  re 
ported;  it  may  be  fairly  estimated  at  11,000.  Antietam 
(the  second  day)  was  the  bloodiest  battle  of  the  Civil 
War,  except  Gettysburg. 

Sept.  18  (1793)— Corner  stone  of  the  National  Capi 
tol  at  Washington  was  laid  by  President  Washington, 
year  1793.  The  architectural  design  was  the  creation  of 
Dr.  William  Thornton,  an  English  physician  and  amateur 
draftsman.  Thomas  Jefferson,  the  Secretary  of  State, 
favored  the  plans  of  Stephen  Hallet,  a  French  architect, 
but  Washington  decided  in  favor  of  Thornton. 

Sept.  18  (1895)— Atlanta  Exposition  (Cotton  State 
and  International  Exposition)  opened,  year  1895 ;  closed 
Dec.  31,  1895. 

Sept.  19  (1777)— Battle  of  Stillwater,  N.  Y.  Gen. 
Benedict  Arnold  (American,  3,000  men)  vs.  Gen.  John 
Burgoyne  (British,  4,000  men).  Tactically  a  drawn 
battle,  but  the  Americans  gained  an  enormous  advantage 
by  withstanding  Burgoyne's  advance.  The  losses  on  each 
side  were  about  equal — 550  each.  (See  Saratoga,  Oct.  7.) 

235 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Sept.  19  (1859)— Song  "Dixie"  first  sung  by  Dan 
Emmett,  a  "black  face"  minstrel  actor,  the  composer  of 
the  melody  and  words,  at  the  theatre  of  Bryant's  Min 
strels,  No.  472  Broadway,  N.  Y.,  year  1859.  Emmett  died 
at  Youngstown,  O.,  his  native  town,  on  June  28,  1904. 

Sept.  19  (1863) — Battle  of  Chickamauga,  Ga.,  year 
1863.  Gen.  William  Clarke  Rosecrans  (Union,  55,000 
men)  vs.  Gen.  Braxton  Bragg  (Confederate,  60,000  men). 
Confederate  victory.  The  battle  lasted  two  days — Sept. 
19-20.  Union  loss  1,644  killed,  9,262  wounded,  4,955  miss 
ing—total  15,861.  Confederate  loss,  total  18,000.  The 
Union  army  was  saved  from  complete  rout  by  Gen.  Geo. 
Henry  Thomas  and  his  corps.  Thomas  was  afterwards 
given  the  soubriquet  "The  Rock  of  Chickamauga." 

Sept.  19  (1873)— Failure  of  the  banking  firm  of  Jay 
Cook  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  agents  of  the  U.  S.  Govern 
ment  and  the  leading  banking  firm  of  the  country  during 
the  period  following  the  Civil  War,  year  1873.  This 
failure  precipitated  the  financial  panic  of  1873. 

Sept.  19  (1881)— President  Garfield  died  at  Elberon, 
N.  J.,  from  the  bullet  wound  inflicted  by  the  assassin 
Charles  J.  Guiteau,  year  1881.  (See  July  2.) 

Sept.  20  (1848) — First  meeting  of  the  American  As 
sociation  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  held  at  Phila 
delphia,  year  1848. 

Sept.  20  (1862) — Revolving  turret  for  battleships 
patented  by  Theodore  Ruggles  Timby  (born  at  Dover, 
N.  Y.,  April  5,  1822),  the  inventor,  year  1862.  Ericsson 
used  the  model  of  this  turret  in  building  the  Monitor,  the 
first  turret  battleship  of  the  world.  It  is  popularly  be 
lieved  that  Ericsson  designed  the  turret,  as  well  as  the 
rest  of  the  Monitor.  This  is  a  mistake.  Ericsson  did  not 
claim  that  he  invented  the  turret.  (See  Battle  of  the  Moni 
tor  and  Merrimac,  March  9,  1862.) 

Sept.  21  (1784) — First  issue  of  The  American  Daily 
Advertiser  of  Philadelphia,  the  first  daily  newspaper  in 
the  United  States,  year  1784. 

236 


SEPTEMBER 

Sept.  21  (1846) — American  army  under  Gen.  Zachary 
Taylor  made  the  first  attempt  to  carry  by  storm  the  de 
fenses  of  the  city  of  Monterey,  Mex.,  fighting  through  the 
streets  from  house  to  house,  year  1846.  The  attempt 
failed.  American  loss  394  killed  and  wounded.  Mexican 
loss  about  the  same. 

Sept.  22  (1776) — Nathan  Hale  hanged  as  a  spy  by  the 
British  in  New  York,  year  1776.  He  was  twenty-one 
years  old  and  a  captain  in  the  American  army  under 
Washington.  He  volunteered  to  enter  the  British  camps 
on  Long  Island  and  Manhattan  and  get  certain  military 
information  which  Washington  needed.  He  disguised 
himself  as  a  "loyalist"  schoolmaster  and  visited  all  the 
British  camps,  making  drawings  of  the  fortifications. 
He  was  about  to  return  to  the  American  camp  when  he 
was  arrested  and  searched ;  in  his  shoes  were  found  docu 
ments  which  convicted  him.  He  was  hanged  in  New 
York  at  sunrise  next  day.  His  last  words  were,  "I  regret 
that  I  have  but  one  life  to  lose  for  my  country." 

Sept.  22  (1827)— Joseph  Smith,  founder  of  Mor- 
monism  (the  church  of  Latter  Day  Saints),  claimed  that 
an  angel  delivered  to  him  the  golden  plates  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  at  Manchester,  N.  Y.,  on  this  date,  year  1827. 

NEGRO    EMANCIPATION    PROCLAMATION    IS 
SUED  BY  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN 

Sept.  22,  1862 

While  "Secession"  was  the  direct  cause  of  the  Civil 
War,  the  great  underlying  cause  was  negro  slavery.  In 
the  North,  for  many  years,  there  had  been  a  body  strongly 
opposed  to  slavery  and  this  body  had  grown  to  be  a  ma 
jority  of  the  people  of  the  North  when  the  War  began. 
The  most  fanatical  of  this  body,  called  "Abolitionists," 
expected  that  Lincoln  would  proclaim  the  freedom  of  all 
slaves  immediately  on  becoming  President.  But  Presi 
dent  Lincoln  did  not  do  so.  He  regarded  the  preservation 
of  the  Union  as  of  prime  importance,  and  the  abolition  of 

237 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

slavery  as  secondary.  He  resisted  the  radical  faction  of 
the  Republican  party,  led  by  Horace  Greeley,  who  de 
manded  negro  emancipation  right  at  the  beginning  of  the 
War.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  powerful  conservative  fac 
tion  of  the  party  was  opposed  to  emancipation,  and  even 
the  moderates  were  not  for  it,  except  as  a  diplomatic  and 
military  measure  which  might  help  to  win  the  War.  It 
was  as  a  war  measure  that  Mr.  Lincoln  in  the  summer  of 
1862,  sixteen  months  after  the  war  began,  when  the  Union 
armies  were  being  defeated,  first  submitted  to  his  cabinet 
an  emancipation  proclamation  which  he  had  drafted  all 
alone.  The  date  of  this  cabinet  meeting  was  July  22,  1862. 

Mr.  Lincoln's  cabinet,  unlike  the  cabinets  of  most  of 
our  presidents,  was  made  up  of  strong  men  each  of  whom 
had  taken  a  leading  part  in  politics,  and  who  had  differed 
widely  from  each  other  and  from  Mr.  Lincoln  himself. 
The  Secretary  of  State,  William  H.  Seward,  had  been  the 
rival  of  Lincoln  for  the  Presidential  nomination.  Seward 
was  a  conservative.  He  at  firrt  impulsively  opposed  the 
proclamation.  Of  the  seven  cabinet  memkers,  only  Secre 
tary  of  War  Stanton  and  Attorney  General  Bates  at  once 
gave  their  approval. 

The  President  then  quietly  told  them  that  he  had  de 
cided  to  is"sue  the  proclamation,  that  he  had  not  called 
them  together  to  ask  their  advice,  but  only  to  get  sug 
gestions  as  to  the  subject  matter  of  the  proclamation. 
Thereupon  Seward  changed  his  mind  partly.  According 
to  Mr.  Lincoln  himself  as  reported  by  F.  B.  Carpenter  in 
the  book  "Six  Months  at  the  White  House,"  Mr.  Seward 
said,  "Mr.  President,  I  approve  of  the  proclamation  but  I 
question  the  expediency  of  its  issue  at  this  juncture.  The 
depression  of  the  public  mind,  consequent  upon  our  re 
peated  reverses,  is  so  great  that  I  fear  the  effect  of  so  im 
portant  a  step.  It  may  be  viewed  as  a  last  measure  of  an 
exhausted  Government,  a  cry  for  help ;  the  Government 
stretching  forth  for  the  hands  of  Ethiopia,  instead  of 
Ethiopia  stretching  forth  her  hands  to  the  Government. 

238 


SEPTEMBER 

Now,  while  I  approve  of  the  measure,  I  suggest,  sir,  that 
you  postpone  its  issue  until  you  can  give  it  to  the  country 
by  military  success,  instead  of  issuing  it  as  would  be  the 
case  now,  upon  the  greatest  disasters  of  the  war." 

Concerning  this  suggestion  of  Seward's,  Mr.  Lincoln 
afterwards  said  to  artist  Carpenter,  "The  wisdom  of  the 
view  of  the  Secretary  of  War  struck  me  with  very  great 
force.  It  was  an  aspect  of  the  case  that,  in  all  my  thought 
upon  the  subject,  I  had  entirely  overlooked.  The  result 
was  that  I  put  the  draft  of  the  Proclamation  aside,  as  you 
do  your  sketch  for  a  picture,  waiting  for  victory." 

The  victory  that  President  Lincoln  looked  for  came 
two  months  later — the  Battle  of  Antietam,  on  September 
17,  1862.  In  truth,  Antietam  was  not  indisputably  a 
victory  for  the  North.  But  General  McClellan,  the  Union 
commander  in  the  battle,  telegraphed  to  the  President  at 
the  end  of  the  battle,  "Our  victory  is  complete.  The  en 
emy  is  driven  back  into  Virginia.  Maryland  and  Penn 
sylvania  are  now  safe."  Nevertheless,  Lee  retreated  in 
good  order  and  within  the  next  nine  months  inflicted  two 
terrible  defeats  on  the  Union  Army  of  the  Potomac — at 
Fredericksburg  and  Chancellorsville.  However,  the  re 
sult  at  Antietam  was  construed  by  the  people  of  the  North 
as  a  great  victory,  and  thus  the  juncture  was  opportune 
for  the  Proclamation. 

On  Sept.  22,"  five  days  after  the  battle,  the  President 
issued  the  preliminary  or  monitory  Proclamation  of 
Emancipation.  This  proclamation  did  not  emancipate 
the  slaves,  but  was  a  warning  that  if  the  States  of  the 
Confederacy  or  any  one  of  them  continued  in  rebellion, 
then  on  Jan.  1,  1863,  the  slaves  in  such  States  or  State, 
would  be  set  free.  The  warning  was  unheeded. 

On  the  following  January  1,  1863,  President  Lincoln 
issued  the  proclamation  actually  emancipating  the  slaves, 
and  this  second  proclamation  is  really  the  Emancipation 
Proclamation.  But  the  people  of  the  North  knew  that  the 
"warning"  would  not  be  heeded  by  the  Southern  States, 

239 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

and  so  accepted  the  first  proclamation  as  the  de  facto 
Emancipation  Proclamation.  So  Sept.  22  has  been,  since 
then,  generally  observed  as  "Emancipation  Day." 

The  proclamation  freed  approximately  3,000,000 
slaves  in  the  States  of  Arkansas,  Alabama,  Florida, 
Georgia,  Mississippi,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina, 
Texas,  Virginia  (part)  and  Louisiana  (part). 

The  proclamation  did  not  interfere  with  slavery  in 
the  border  States  nor  in  Delaware  and  part  of  Louisiana, 
where  there  were  831,780  slaves,  distributed  in  the  fol 
lowing  States:  Delaware,  Kentucy,  Maryland,  Missouri, 
Tennessee,  Louisiana  (part),  West  Virginia  (part). 
These  slaves  were  emancipated  by  the  Thirteenth 
Amendment  to  the  Constitution.  (See  Dec.  18,  1865.) 

Sept.  23  (1779)— Naval  battle  between  the  U.  S.  S. 
Bonhomme  Richard  (Captain  Paul  Jones,  42  guns,  304 
men)  and  the  British  frigate  Serapis  (Captain  Richard 
Pearson,  50  guns,  320  men),  year  1779.  The  most  famous 
American  naval  victory  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  The 
battle  was  fought  in  the  North  Sea,  within  sight  of  Eng 
land's  coast  at  Flamborough  Head.  The  Serapis  and  a 
smaller  ship,  the  Countess  of  Scarborough,  22  guns,  were 
convoying  a  fleet  of  merchant  ships  from  the  Baltic,  to 
protect  them  from  the  little  American  squadron  of  Paul 
Jones,  then  boldly  cruising  near  the  British  Isles.  Jones 
had  three  ships  when  the  battle  began — the  Bonhomme 
Richard  (flagship),  the  Pallas  (30  guns)  and  the  Alliance 
(32  guns),  all  French  ships  manned  by  American  and 
French  crews;  the  Alliance  was  the  only  one  built  as  a 
warship.  The  battle  began  at  7  p.  m.  in  darkness,  an  hour 
after  sunset.  One  hour  later  the  moon  rose.  The  strug 
gle  between  the  two  large  ships  lasted  three  and  a  half 
hours,  almost  incessantly,  most  of  the  time  they  being 
lashed  side  by  side,  their  yards  and  rigging  tangled.  After 
an  hour  and  a  half  of  the  battle,  there  was  a  short  lull. 
The  English  Captain  hailed  the  American,  "Have  you 
struck?"  Jones  shouted  bank,  "I  have  not  yet  begun  to 

240 


SEPTEMBER 

fight !",  and  immediately  his  gunners  began  again.  Finally 
at  10:30  p.  m.  the  Serapis  surrendered.  The  American 
loss  in  the  flagship  was  49  killed  and  67  wounded.  The 
British  loss  in  the  Serapis  was  49  killed,  68  wounded,  and 
203  taken  prisoners.  The  Bonhomme  Richard  was  so 
badly  damaged  she  sank  in  the  open  sea  two  days  later. 
The  Serapis  was  a  new  ship,  and  Jones  transferred  his 
flag  and  crew  to  her.  The  Countess  of  Scarborough  sur 
rendered  to  the  Pallas  after  two  hours  of  battle.  The 
Alliance  (Captain  Landais)  treacherously  fired  on  the 
Bonhomme  Richard  during  the  battle;  she  was  of  no  as 
sistance  to  Jones,  except  that  the  English  captain  feared 
he  would  be  overwhelmed  by  two  ships  and  this  hastened 
his  surrender.  This  victory  enormously  increased  the 
prestige  of  the  United  States  in  Europe.  (See  July  6.) 

Sept.  23  (1780) — Major  John  Andre,  aged  29  years, 
British  military  officer,  negotiating  with  Gen.  Benedict 
Arnold  for  the  traitorous  surrender  of  West  Point  for 
tress  to  the  British,  was  captured  at  Tarrytown,  N.  Y.,  by 
three  American  militiamen,  John  Paulding,  Isaac  Van 
Wert  and  David  Williams,  year  1780.  The  West  Point 
complot  was  thus  proved  and  exposed.  Andre  was  tried 
and  condemned  as  a  spy.  He  was  hanged,  at  Tappan, 
N.  Y.,  on  Oct.  2.  In  1821,  his  remains  were  taken  to 
England  and  placed  in  Westminster  Abbey.  He  is  hon 
ored  in  England  as  a  hero,  as  Nathan  Hale,  the  American 
spy,  is  revered  in  America. 

Sept.  23  (1845)— First  base  ball  club  in  America  or 
ganized  at  New  York,  year  1845.  The  rules  provided  that 
the  first  team  scoring  21  runs  should  win  the  game.  The 
committee  on  organization  was  composed  of  Alexander  J. 
Cartwright  (chairman),  Duncan  F.  Curry,  E.  R.  Dupuig- 
nac,  Jr.,  W.  H.  Tucker  and  W.  R.  Wheaton.  Shortly 
afterward  the -club  was  named  the  Knickerbocker  Base 
ball  Club  of  New  York.  The  first  game  ever  played  be 
tween  two  organized  base  ball  nines  was  at  Hoboken, 

241 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

N.  J.,  between  the  Knickerbockers  and  the  New  York 
Nine,  in  1846.  The  New  York  Nine  won,  21  to  1. 

Sept.  23  (1846) — Successful  storming  of  Monterey, 
Mex.,  by  the  American  army,  year  1846.  Gen.  Zachary 
Taylor  (American,  2,800  men)  vs.  General  Ampudia 
(Mexican,  5,000  men).  The  city  was  surrendered  to  the 
Americans  on  Sept.  25.  During  the  siege,  the  Americans 
lost  500  in  killed  and  wounded.  The  Mexican  loss  is  not 
known;  it  was  probably  1,000.  Monterey  is  notable  as 
one  of  the  only  two  cities  on  the  Western  continent  in 
which  two  regular  armies,  one  of  them  of  the  United 
States,  fought  a  battle  in  the  streets  and  houses.  The 
other  was  Quebec.  (See  Dec.  31.)  The  struggle  has  been 
thrillingly  pictured  by  Charles  Fenno  Hoffman  in  his 
poem,  "Monterey." 

Sept.  24  (1755) — John  Marshall,  jurist,  born  in  Fau- 
quier  County,  Va.,  year  1755;  died  at  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
July  6,  1835.  The  most  famous  lawyer  and  master  of 
jurisprudence  in  American  history.  He  was  appointed 
chief  justice  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  by  President 
John  Adams  in  1800,  and  served  thirty-five  years. 

Sept.  24  (1869)— "Black  Friday,"  year  1869.  A  day 
of  financial  misfortune  in  New  York  because  of  the  gold 
panic  of  1869.  Also  the  name  has  been  given  to  Friday, 
Sept.  18,  1873  in  the  financial  panic  of  that  year. 

Sept.  25  (I690)—Publick  Occurrences,  the  first  news 
paper  printed  in  America,  issued  by  Benjamin  Harris 
of  Boston,  year  1690.  The  printer  was  Richard  Pierce. 
It  contained  an  excellent  synopsis  of  Colonial  news.  It 
contained  no  editorials  nor  did  it  attack  any  person  nor 
political  party,  nor  did  it  attempt  to  propagate  any  poli 
tical  nor  social  doctrine,  yet  it  was  immediately  sup 
pressed  by  the  Colonial  legislative  body,  and  only  one 
issue  was  published.  (See  April  20.) 

Sept.  25  (1775)— Ethan  Allen,  the  hero  of  Ticonde- 
roga,  at  the  head  of  a  free  lance  expedition  to  capture 
Montreal,  with  100  men  crossed  the  St.  Lawrence  River 

242 


SEPTEMBER 

and  was  attacked  and  captured  by  a  force  of  500  British 
and  Indians  at  Long  Point  near  Montreal,  year  1775.  He 
was  harshly  treated  by  his  captors,  was  bound  hand  and 
foot  in  irons  and  sent  to  England,  where  he  was  kept  in 
prison  in  Pendennis  Castle  for  seven  weeks.  He  was 
then  sent  to  Halifax  and  remained  a  prisoner  until  the 
spring  of  1778  when  he  was  exchanged  and  returned  to 
his  home  in  Vermont.  He  died  at  Burlington,  Vt,  Feb. 
"13,  1789.  He  was  born  Jan.  10,  1737. 

Sept.  26  (1531) — Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  Spanish 
pioneer  in  America,  discovered  the  Pacific  Ocean,  year 
1531.  He  had  settled  near  Darien  on  the  isthmus.  With 
100  men,  he  set  out  westward  on  Sept.  1,  to  explore  the 
distant  mountains  and  the  country  beyond.  On  Sept. 
26th  they  reached  the  summit  of  a  mountain  on  the  isth 
mus  of  Darien  (Panama)  and  beheld  the  great  ocean  be 
neath  them.  They  descended  the  mountain  on  the 
western  side,  and  after  three  days'  march  reached  the 
ocean  at  a  place  which  Balboa  named  Gulf  of  San  Miguel 
— a  name  it  still  bears.  The  name  "Pacific"  was  later 
given  by  Fernando  Magellan,  who  discovered  the  Strait 
of  Magellan  and  sailed  across  the  ocean  to  the  Philip 
pines  in  1521. 

Sept.  26  (1831) — Anti-Masonic  party  national  con 
vention  met  at  Baltimore  with  112  delegates,  year  1831. 
The  convention  nominated  William  Wirt  of  Virginia  for 
President  and  Amos  Ellmaker  of  Pennsylvania  for  Vice- 
President.  This  was  the  first  and  only  convention  of  that 
party.  (See  Sept.  12.) 

Sept.  27  (1777) — British  army  under  General  Howe 
entered  Philadelphia,  year  1777.  The  British  held  the 
city  until  June  17,  1778,  on  which  day  the  army  of  17,000 
men  under  Sir  Henry  Clinton  evacuated  it  and  set  out  on 
the  march  back  to  New  York. 

Sept.  27  (1777)— The  Continental  Congress  met  at 
Lancaster,  Pa.,  year  1777.  The  members  had  retreated 
from  Philadelphia  when  the  British  army  under  General 

243 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Howe  was  about  to  enter  that  city.  Lancaster  is  about 
65  miles  west  of  Philadelphia. 

Sept.  27  (1854) — Sinking  of  the  steamship  Arctic  of 
the  Collins  Line  (American,  subsidized  by  U.  S.  Gov.), 
with  300  persons,  in  the  Atlantic  ocean  1,000  miles  from 
the  coast  of  Ireland,  year  1854.  She  was  bound  from 
Liverpool  to  New  York.  This  was  the  first  great  disaster 
to  an  Atlantic  ocean  liner. 

Sept.  28  (1850) — Passage  of  an  Act  of  Congress  abol 
ishing  flogging  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  and  in  merchant  ships 
of  the  United  States,  year  1850. 

Sept.  29  (1806)— Gen.  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  at  the  Indian 
village  of  the  Pawnees  (in  Kansas)  caused  the  Spanish 
flag  to  be  lowered  and  the  United  States  flag  to  be  raised, 
year  1806.  This  was  the  official  act  of  possession  of  the 
country  west  of  Missouri  under  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Act  of  1803. 

Sept.  29  (1915) — First  telephone  message  across  the 
continent,  from  New  York  to  Mare  Island,  Cal.,  year 
1915. 

Sept.  30  (1777)— The  Continental  Congress,  after  a 
two  days'  session  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  met  at  York,  Pa.,  year 
1777.  The  British  army  under  Howe  had  captured  Phila 
delphia  the  day  before  and  the  Congress  moved  twenty 
miles  farther  west,  from  Lancaster,  for  safety. 


244 


OCTOBER 

October  1  (1800) — Spanish  government  by  secret 
treaty  of  St.  Ildefonso,  ceded  Louisiana  to  France,  year 
1800.  Thirty-eight  years  prior  to  this  (Nov.  3,  1762)  the 
King  of  France,  Louis  XV,  had  ceded  to  Spain  all  of 
Louisiana  and  the  territory  had  remained  in  possession  of 
Spain  during  these  years.  When  Napoleon  Bonaparte 
became  first  consul  of  France,  he  desired  to  establish  a 
colonial  empire  in  America,  and  he  easily  obtained  the 
retrocession  of  Louisiana.  He  changed  his  mind  shortly 
after,  and  sold  the  territory  to  the  United  States  in  1803. 

Oct.  2  (1780) — Major  Andre  hanged  as  a  spy.  (See 
Sept.  23.) 

Oct.  2  (1889)— The  first  Pan-American  Conference 
opened  at  Washington,  year  1889.  It  was  originated  and 
planned  by  James  G.  Elaine,  Secretary  of  State  under 
President  Harrison.  Ten  republics  of  the  two  continents 
signed  an  arbitration  treaty. 

Oct.  3  (1775) — Conviction  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Church, 
surgeon  general  of  the  American  army  of  the  Revolution 
surrounding  Boston,  after  courtmartial,  on  a  charge  of 
treason,  year  1775.  He  was  sentenced  to  life  imprison 
ment.  Next  year  he  was  permitted  to  sail  for  the  West 
Indies ;  the  ship  in  which  he  sailed  was  lost  at  sea.  This 
was  the  first  conviction  for  treason  in  the  American 
Colonies.  The  evidence  showed  that  Church  was  in  cor 
respondence  with  General  Gage,  the  British  commander, 
and  that  he  was  giving  secret  information  of  Washing 
ton's  army  to  the  British. 

Oct.  3  (1800) — George  Bancroft,  historian  and  secre 
tary  of  the  Navy,  born  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  year  1800; 
died  at  Washington,  D.  C,  Jan.  17,  1891.  In  1830  he  be 
gan  the  work  of  writing  his  "History  of  the  United 
States."  The  first  volume  was  published  in  1834.  There 
after,  during  nearly  fifty  years  he  devoted  himself  to  the 

245 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

writing  of  his  great  work,  and,  incidentally  or  for  recrea 
tion,  to  politics  and  public  service.  The  twelfth  and  last 
volume  of  the  History  was  published  in  1882,  bringing  it 
down  to  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  and  the  in 
auguration  of  President  Washington  in  1789.  The  last 
revised  edition  was  issued  in  1884,  in  six  volumes ;  this  is 
the  edition  now  found  in  nearly  all  libraries.  The  His 
tory  is  recognized  in  America  and  Europe  as  one  of  the 
greatest  historical  works  in  the  English  language. 

Oct.  3  (1862)— Battle  of  Corinth,  Miss.,  year  1862. 
Gen.  W.  S.  Rosecrans  (Union,  25,000  men)  vs.  Gen.  Earl 
Van  Dorn  and  Gen.  Sterling  Price  (Confederate,  35,000 
men).  Union  victory.  Corinth,  held  by  a  Union  force, 
was  a  great  depot  of  supplies.  The  Confederates  at 
tacked  with  intent  to  capture  the  supplies,  but  did  not 
succeed.  Union  loss,  315  killed,  2,000  wounded'and  miss 
ing;  Confederates  admitted  a  loss  of  4,500  including 
2,200  made  prisoners. 

Oct.  4  (1777) — Battle  of  Germantown,  Pa.,  year 
1777.  A  tactical  British  victory,  though  the  effect  was  to 
inspire  the  Americans.  Gen.  Washington  (American, 
12,000  men)  vs.  Gen.  Howe  (British,  16,000  men). 
Washington  attacked  the  British  army  which  was  in 
trenched  at  Germantown,  just  outside  Philadelphia.  The 
battle  began  in  the  early  morning  and,  for  a  time,  it 
seemed  as  if  Washington  would  inflict  a  disaster  on  the 
British.  But  a  fog  came  on,  mistakes  occurred  among 
the  Americans  and  the  British  reformed.  At  8:30  a.  m. 
Washington  ordered  a  retreat.  The  British  did  not 
pursue.  The  battle  had  far  reaching  effects.  It  com 
pelled  the  British  commander  to  hold  himself  in  defen 
sive  lines  at  Philadelphia,  and  made  it  impossible  for  him 
to  send  aid  to  General  Burgoyne  who,  therefore,  sur 
rendered  at  Saratoga  two  weeks  later. 

Oct.  4  (1822) — Rutherford  Birchard  Hayes,  nine 
teenth  President  of  the  United  States,  born  near  Dela 
ware,  O.,  year  1822;  died  at  Fremont,  O.,  Jan.  17,  1893. 

246 


OCTOBER 

Nominated  for  President  by  the  Republican  party  in 
1876.  Electoral  vote  (38  States)— Hayes,  185;  Samuel 
J.  Tilden  (Democrat)  184.  This  result  was  announced 
on  March  2,  1877,  after  a  post-election  contest  over  the 
votes  of  Louisiana,  South  Carolina  and  Florida,  which 
had  been  given  to  Hayes  by  the  election  boards  in  these 
states,  but  contested  by  the  Democrats,  who  charged 
fraud  against  these  election  boards.  The  dispute  was 
referred  to  an  Electoral  Commission  of  15  members, 
which  decided,  by  a  partisan  vote  of  8  to  7  in  each  case, 
in  favor  of  General  Hayes.  The  episode  caused  intense 
excitement  throughout  the  nation,  and,  at  times  during 
the  controversy,  civil  war  was  imminent.  President 
Hayes  was  inaugurated  on  Monday,  March  5,  1877,  and 
served  four  years.  The  chief  events  of  his  administra 
tion  were  the  ending  of  "Carpet  Bag"  governments  in 
the  Southern  states,  the  establishment  of  the  Universal 
Postal  Union  (1878)  and  the  introduction  of  the  present 
system  of  electric  lighting  (1878).  (See  March  4,  In 
auguration  Day.) 

Oct.  5  (1813)— Battle  of  the  Thames  River  (in  west 
ern  Ontario,  Canada),  year  1813.  American  victory.  Gen. 
William  Henry  Harrison  (American,  3,200  men)  vs.  Gen. 
Henry  A.  Proctor  (British,  700  white  men  and  1,200  In 
dians).  The  American  army  had  invaded  Canada.  The 
Indians  were  commanded  by  Tecumseh,  the  brilliant  and 
brave  chief  of  the  Shawnees  of  Ohio.  He  was  killed  in 
this  battle.  It  is  a  tradition  in  Kentucky  that  he  was 
shot  by  Col.  Richard  M.  Johnson,  the  Kentucky  cavalry 
leader.  The  battle  lasted  only  fifteen  minutes.  American 
loss,  45  killed  and  wounded;  British  loss,  44  killed  and 
wounded  and  600  prisoners.  After  the  death  of  Tecum 
seh  the  Indians  fled  and  were  never  again  organized 
against  the  United  States  in  the  War  of  1812. 

Oct.  5  (1830) — Chester  Alan  Arthur,  twenty-first 
President  of  the  United  States,  born  at  Fairfield,  Vt, 
year  1830;  died  at  New  York  City,  Nov.  18,  1886.  Nomi- 

247 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

nated  for  Vice-President  by  the  Republican  party  in 
1886  and  elected.  On  the  death  of  President  Garfield  he 
became  President;  was  inaugurated  on  Sept.  20,  1881,  and 
served  until  March  4,  1885.  The  chief  events  of  his  ad 
ministration  were  the  Yorktown  Centennial  (1881),  the 
Atlanta  Exposition  (1881),  the  New  Orleans  Exposition 
(1884),  the  reduction  of  letter  postage  to  2  cents  (1883), 
the  adoption  of  Standard  Time  (1883)  and  the  industrial 
development  of  natural  gas. 

Oct.  5  (1881) — First  International  Cotton  Exposi 
tion  in  the  United  States  opened  at  Atlanta,  Ga.,  year 
1881. 

Oct.  6  (1683) — German  Day  in  Pennsylvania  and 
generally  observed  by  German  religious  organizations  in 
America  as  an  important  anniversary.  On  this  date,  in 
the  year  1683,  thirteen  German  families  from  Crefeld,  in 
the  Rhine  province  of  Prussia,  members  of  the  Protestant 
religious  sect,  known  as  Mennonites,  which,  with  all 
other  forms  of  worship  except  Catholic,  Lutheran  and 
Reformed,  had  been  outlawed  in  Prussia,  arrived  in 
Philadelphia.  These  were  the  first  German  immigrants 
to  America.  They  came  in  a  small  ship  called  the 
Concord,  popularly  referred  to  as  "the  German  May 
flower/'  Their  leader,  a  young  lawyer  of  Frankfort, 
Germany,  named  Daniel  Pastorius,  preceded  them  six 
weeks  to  make  arrangements.  The  names  of  the  male 
heads  of  the  thirteen  families  were :  Dirck,  Abraham  and 
Hermann  Op  den  Graff  (probably  three  brothers),  Len- 
ert  Arets,  Tuners  Kunders,  Reinert  Tisen,  Wilhelm 
Strepers,  Jan  Lensen,  Peter  Keurlis,  Jan  Simens,  Johann 
Bleikers,  Abraham  Tunes  and  Jan  Lucken.  They  settled 
upon  a  tract  of  land  six  miles  north  of  Philadelphia, 
which  they  called  Germantown;  it  is  still  called  by  that 
name,  though  now  a  part  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 
The  date  Oct.  6,  1683  is  "old  style"  (see  Dec.  11),  but  the 
Pennsylvania  Germans  have  clung  to  it,  in  spite  of  the 
Gregorian  calendar,  and  unlike  the  New  England  people 

248 


OCTOBER 

who  changed  the  old  style  date  of  the  Landing  of  Ply 
mouth  to  Dec.  22,  the  "new  style"  date. 

SARATOGA 

October  7,  1777 

The  date  is  that  of  the  Battle  of  Bemis  Heights  which  directly 
resulted  in  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne's  army  at  Saratoga  ten  days 
later.  It  is  this  anniversary,  and  not  that  of  the  actual  surrender, 
which  is  celebrated  as  the  great  event  of  the  Saratoga  Campaign. 

Lord  George  Germaine,  a  member  of  the  British 
Ministry  of  King  George  III.,  was  practically  in  entire 
charge  of  the  war  waged  by  the  King  against  the  Amer 
ican  colonies.  In  the  third  year  of  the  War  he  planned 
the  movement  of  a  British  army  from  Canada  southward 
by  way  of  Lake  Champlain,  Lake  George  and  the  Hudson 
River,  intending  to  drive  a  wedge  through  the  Colonial 
confederation,  andvthus  separate  New  England  from  the 
rest  of  the  colonies. 

Gen.  John  Burgoyne,  an  able  commander  and  veteran 
of  the  late  war  in  Portugal,  with  about  8,000  men,  was 
to  march  south  from  Canada  and  capture  Albany.  At 
that  city  he  was  to  be  joined  by  a  force  under  Gen.  Sir 
William  Howe  which  would  come  up  the  Hudson  River 
from  New  York.  A  third  expedition  under  Colonel  St. 
Leger,  was  to  go  up  the  St.  Lawrence  River  and  Lake 
Ontario  to  Oswego,  where  it  would  be  joined  by  a  strong 
force  of  Tories  and  Mohawk  Indians  under  Sir  John 
Johnson  and  Col.  John  Butler;  this  united  force  was  to 
march  eastward  and  capture  Fort  Stanwix,  the  American 
stronghold  in  central  New  York,  near  what  is  now  the 
city  of  Rome.  After  capturing  this  fort,  St.  Leger  was 
to  push  on  eastward  to  the  Hudson,  thus  cutting  the 
Colony  of  New  York  east  and  west,  while  the  other  two 
expeditions  would  cut  it  north  and  south. 

Sir  Edward  Creasy,  in  his  great  book  "The  Fifteen 
Decisive  Battles  of  the  World,"  wrote  of  this  plan : 
"Without  doubt,  the  plan  was  ably  formed ;  and  had  the 
execution  been  equal  to  the  ingenuity  of  the  design,  the 
reconquest  or  resubmission  of  the  Thirteen  United  States 

249 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

must  in  all  human  probability  have  followed,  and  the  in 
dependence  which  they  had  proclaimed  in  1776  would 
have  been  extinguished  before  it  existed  a  second  year." 

Burgoyne,  with  4,135  British  regulars,  3,116  German 
soldiers  from  Brunswick,  148  Canadian  militia  and  503 
Indians,  began  his  invasion  in  June,  1777.  He  reached 
the  American  fortification  Fort  Ticonderoga,  at  the 
southern  end  of  Lake  Champlain  on  July  1  and  out 
generaled  the  American  commandant,  General  St.  Clair, 
who  abandoned  the  fort  without  a  battle  and  retreated 
with  his  3,000  men  about  65  miles  south  to  Fort  Edward 
on  the  upper  Hudson  River,  where  he  joined  the  main 
body  of  the  American  Army  of  the  North  under  Gen. 
Philip  Schuyler.  The  abandonment  of  Fort  Ticonderoga 
without"  a  struggle  caused  a  depression  in  all  the  Colo 
nies,  and  exalted  the  British  correspondingly.  The 
British  Ministry,  on  receiving  the  news,  concluded  that 
the  whole  American  confederation  was  collapsing.  Bur 
goyne  wrote  to  them:  "The  Americans  have  no  men 
of  military  science."  He  reckoned  without  George  Wash 
ington.  At  the  very  least,  the  outcome  was  to  prove 
that  the  British  commanders  knew  less  of  progressive 
military  science  than  their  American  opponents. 

At  this  time,  on  July  1,  Schuyler's  army  numbered 
only  5,000  men,  mostly  undisciplined  militia.  Though 
they  could  not  face  Burgoyne's  army  of  veterans  in  battle 
they  could  well  wage  another  kind  of  war.  Obviously 
it  was  good  policy  to  delay  the  march  of  Burgoyne.  With 
splendid  energy  directed  by  Schuyler,  they  used  axe  and 
crowbar  removing  bridges  and  felling  trees,  making  a 
jungle  of  the  country  through  which  Burgoyne  had  to 
pass  southward.  So  well  did  they  effect  this  purpose  of 
delaying  the  invasion  that  Burgoyne  was  a  whole  month 
advancing  sixty-five  miles  from  Ticonderoga  to  Fort 
Edward.  The  British  Ministry  had  not  anticipated  such 
a  delay,  which  was,  in  fact,  disastrous.  Nor  had  they 
looked  for  the  rising  of  the  country  people  of  the  neigh 
borhoods. 

250 


OCTOBER 

Burgoyne  was  a  humane  and  upright  gentleman, 
but  he  could  not  control  the  murderous  instincts  of  his 
Indian  allies,  and  these  latter  by  their  acts,  aroused  the 
resentment  and  dormant  patriotism  of  the  people  of  the 
countryside.  The  result  was  that  the  hereto  peaceful 
men  of  northern  New  York  and  western  New  England 
flocked  to  the  American  army  of  Schuyler,  and,  at  the  end 
of  July,  this  army  had  grown  to  9,000  men,  and  hung 
invisibly  on  the  flanks  of  Burgoyne's  army  in  guerilla 
fashion,  stopping  his  food  supplies  from  the  surrounding 
country.  Thus  Burgoyne  faced  the  unlocked  for  danger 
of  starvation. 

When  the  British  army  reached  Fort  Edward, 
Schuyler  retreated  farther  south,  twenty  miles  to  Still- 
water,  on  the  Hudson,  but  still  kept  up  constantly  his 
pressure  on  the  British  flanks.  Burgoyne  found  no  safe 
refuge  at  Fort  Edward.  Yet  he  was  compelled  to  rest 
there. 

Now,  in  the  second  week  of  August,  came  news  to 
Burgoyne  of  disaster  to  the  British  expedition  that  was 
to  have  cut  the  colony  of  New  York  east  and  west— 
from  Oswego  to  Albany.  This  expedition,  under  Colonel 
St.  Leger,  had  moved  from  Oswego,  a  force  of  1,700  men 
and  had  reached  their  first  objective,  Fort  Stanwix. 

The  garrison  of  800  Americans  under  Col.  Peter 
Gansevoort  refused  to  surrender  and  siege  was  laid.  But 
the  patriots  of  central  New  York  were  aroused.  Gen. 
Nicholas  Herkimer  led  800  men  to  relieve  the  fort.  At 
Oriskany  (near  Utica),  eight  miles  from  the  fort,  they 
were  attacked  by  a  strong  detachment  sent  by  St.  Leger. 
Then,  on  Aug.  6,  1777,  ensued  the  Battle  of  Oriskany, 
the  strangest  and  bloodiest  contest  of  the  Revolution. 
(See  Aug.  6,  Battle  of  Oriskany.)  The  Indians  fled,  and 
the  British  retreated.  St.  Leger  continued  the  siege  of 
Ft.  Stanwix,  but  the  battle  of  Oriskany  had  so  thrilled 
the  Americans  of  Schuyler's  army  and  depressed  the 
Loyalists  of  New  York,  that,  on  Aug.  22,  when  St. 
Leger's  force  heard  that  1,200  Americans  under  Gen. 

251 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Benedict  Arnold  were  advancing  against  them  they  were 
struck  with  panic  and  took  to  flight  in  pandemonium. 
Very  few  reached  safety  far  away  at  Oswego.  Thus 
was  destroyed  one  of  the  forces  in  Lord  George  Ger- 
maine's  plan. 

About  the  same  time,  another  disaster  befell  the 
British.  It  became  absolutely  necessary  for  Burgoyne 
to  get  horses  for  his  artillery  and  food  for  his  men  at 
once.  Hearing  that  the  Americans  had  gathered  stores 
of  food  at  Bennington,  in  Vermont,  about  sixty  miles 
from  Fort  Edward,  on  Aug.  13,  he  sent  a  detachment  of 
500  Germans  and  100  Indians  under  Lieut.  Colonel  Baum 
to  seize  these  stores.  But  the  men  of  Vermont  aroused, 
and  2,000  of  them,  led  by  Col.  John  Starke,  fell  upon 
Baum  before  he  reached  Bennington  and  after  a  battle 
of  two  hours,  captured  the  entire  force,  except  the  Indians 
who  ran  away.  At  the  end  of  this  first  battle,  another 
force  of  500  Germans  under  Colonel  Breyman,  sent  to 
reinforce  Baum,  arrived  near  the  battlefield.  The  Amer 
icans  attacked  this  new  force,  which  bravely  fought  a 
retreating  battle  from  hill  to  hill  all  day  until  nightfall, 
when  a  remnant  of  seventy  escaped  and  reached  Bur- 
goyne's  camp.  (See  Aug.  16,  Battle  of  Bennington.) 

The  battles  of  Oriskany  and  Bennington  electrified 
the  whole  country.  Americans  who  had  been  neutral 
came  rushing  to  join  Schuyler's  army  at  Stillwater.  On 
Aug.  20,  his  force  had  grown  to  17,000  men  and  he 
planned  with  high  hope  to  capture  Burgoyne's  army. 

In  the  meantime,  Burgoyne,  at  Fort  Edward,  long 
ingly  expected  the  help  that  was  to  come  to  him  from 
Howe's  British  army  at  New  York.  It  did  not  come. 
Howe,  instead  of  taking  his  army  up  the  Hudson  to  ex 
tricate  Burgoyne,  sailed  with  18,000  men  to  Chesapeake 
Bay  and  up  that  water  to  its  head,  where  he  disembarked 
and  marched  to  capture  Philadelphia.  He  did  capture 
Philadelphia,  but  it  was  a  costly  victory,  for  Washington 
held  him  there  and  he  could  not  go  to  Burgoyne's  aid 
nor  send  any  succor.  (See  Oct.  4,  Battle  of  Germantown.) 

252 


OCTOBER 

At  last  Burgoyne  faced  a  crisis.  He  could  no  longer 
stop  at  Fort  Edward.  He  must  advance  to  Albany  or 
retreat  to  Canada.  If  he  retreated,  he  would  save  his 
army,  but  he  would  leave  the  victorious  American  army 
to  fall  upon  Howe  when  the  latter  came  to  Albany,  for 
Burgoyne  still  believed  that  Howe  was  coming  to  Albany. 
Burgoyne  resolved  to  advance  and  fight  Schuyler,  and 
if  need  be,  to  offer  himself  and  his  own  army  as  a  sacrifice, 
that  a  greater  disaster  might  not  befall  Howe.  No  more 
chivalrous  spirit  was  ever  shown  by  a  military  com 
mander,  and  even  to-day,  the  heartstrings  of  Englishmen 
are  tugged  with  anguish  to  think  how  brave  Burgoyne 
and  his  brave  officers  and  men  were  given  up  in  what 
they  regard  as  the  most  wasteful  sacrifice  in  England's 
history  up  to  the  Great  War  of  the  Nations. 

On  Sept.  13,  Burgoyne  crossed  the  Hudson  and  ad 
vanced  south  towards  the  American  army,  which  lay  in 
a  strongly  fortified  position  on  Bemis  Heights  in  the 
township  of  Stillwater. 

Just  at  this  time  Schuyler,  who  had  organized  the 
American  army,  conducted  a  masterly  campaign  and  was 
prepared  to  deal  the  final  blow  to  Burgoyne,  was  removed 
from  the  chief  command  by  Congress  and  in  his  place 
was  appointed  Gen.  Horatio  Gates,  an  incompetent.  (See 
Aug.  16,  1780,  Battle  of  Camden.) 

Political  intrigue  had  gripped  the  American  Con 
gress.  Personal  ambition  of  military  men  allied  with 
sordidly  selfish  politicians  was  able  to  command,  in  large 
degree,  the  administration  of  public  affairs.  Gates  was 
appointed  through  these  politicians,  and  against  the 
wishes  of  Washington. 

On  Sept.  19th  was  fought  the  battle  of  Freeman's 
Farm,  between  the  right  wing  of  Burgoyne's  army,  num 
bering  4,000  men,  and  the  left  wing  of  the  American  arrrty 
under  Gen.  Benedict  Arnold,  numbering  3,000  men. 
Gates  did  not  want  to  fight,  but  Arnold  implored  per 
mission  to  take  Morgan's  riflemen  and  Dearborn's  in- 

253 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

fantry  and  go  forward  to  meet  the  British  attack.  Finally 
Gates  consented.  The  battle  was,  in  effect,  an  American 
victory,  in  which  the  bravery  and  ability  of  Arnold  was 
the  chief  factor,  though  the  British  remained  in  posses 
sion  of  the  battlefield  and  Arnold  retired  to  the  lines  on 
Bemis  Heights.  Next  morning,  Arnold  pleaded  with 
Gates  to  renew  the  battle,  believing  that  Burgoyne's 
army  could  be  destroyed  at  once,  before  the  relief  ex 
pedition  which  Sir  Henry  Clinton  had  started  from  New 
York  could  arrive.  Gates  would  not  move.  Gates  and 
Arnold  quarreled  bitterly.  Arnold  was  the  friend  of 
Washington  and  Schuyler.  Gates  told  him  to  go  back  to 
Washington's  army.  Arnold,  in  a  rage,  asked  for  a  pass ; 
Gates  promptly  made  out  the  pass.  But  the  general 
officers  of  the  army  united  in  signing  a  letter  to  Arnold 
asking  him  to  remain.  He  did  remain,  but  sat  alone  in 
his  tent,  proud  and  angry,  with  no  command,  waiting 
for  the  final  battle  to  begin. 

Burgoyne  after  waiting  eighteen  days  for  the  relief 
expedition,  made  a  desperate  effort  to  break  through  the 
Arherican  army  which  outnumbered  him  three  to  one,  on 
Oct.  7,  1777.  This  was  the  Battle  of  Bemis  Heights. 

Burgoyne  sent  forward  General  Fraser  with  1,500 
picked  men,  of  superb  fighting  quality,  to  turn  the  Amer 
ican  left.  The  redoubtable  General  Morgan  with  his 
American  riflemen  suddenly  attacked  the  right  of  this 
British  force  while  the  New  England  regulars  with  3,000 
New  York  militia  delivered  their  fire  in  front.  The 
British  were  overwhelmed  by  numbers  and  their  whole 
line  broken.  General  Fraser  attempted  to  form  a  second 
line  a  little  further  back.  At  this  moment,  Arnold  watch 
ing  from  the  heights,  without  any  authority  from  Gates 
sprang  upon  his  horse  and  galloped  to  the  center  of  the 
action.  The  soldiers  greeted  him  with  cheers.  He  led 
them  in  a  furious  charge  against  Fraser's  half  formed 
line.  The  British  retreated  slowly.  Arnold  rushed  to 
another  part  of  the  field  and  led  another  charge,  against 

254 


OCTOBER 

the  Canadians,  and  forced  them  back.  Then  he  galloped 
away  to  still  another  charge  against  the  German  con 
tingent  and  routed  it.  He  was  the  incarnation  of  battle 
fervor  and  everywhere  he  went  throughout  all  the  battle 
field,  he  inspired  the  Americans.  The  British  right  wing 
was  crushed.  The  whole  British  army  was  facing  utter 
disaster.  And  then,  as  the  sun  went  down,  Arnold  fell, 
wounded  by  a  bullet  fired  by  a  wounded  German  soldier; 
the  bullet  fractured  his  leg  and  killed  his  horse.  As  he 
fell,  an  American  soldier  rushed  at  the  German  to  bayonet 
him.  Arnold  cried  out:  "For  God's  sake,  don't  hurt  him ! 
He's  a  fine  fellow."  Dr.  John  Fiske,  the  great  historian 
writes:  "The  poor  German  was  saved  and  it  has  been 
well  said  that  this  was  the  hour  when  Benedict  Arnold 
should  have  died." 

Arnold's  fall  and  the  deepening  twilight  stopped  the 
battle.  It  was  a  decisive  American  victory — the  most 
important  single  battle  victory  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 

Next  day  Burgoyne  retreated  to  Saratoga.  Gates 
followed  him,  but  did  not  attack  him,  though  the  Amer 
ican  army  had  grown  to  20,000  men. 

Nine  days  after  the  Battle  of  Bemis  Heights,  on 
October  16,  1777,  Burgoyne  signed  articles  of  capitula 
tion,  and,  on  October  17,  he  surrendered  his  entire  army 
of  5,790  men  to  General  Gates.  British  historians  call 
the  surrender  "the  Convention  of  Saratoga." 

It  was  the  decisive  event  of  the  Revolution.  Because 
of  it,  France  made  an  alliance  with  the  United  States,  and 
because  of  this  alliance,  the  American  purpose  of  the  war 
was  consummated. 

Arnold  was  the  hero  of  Saratoga.  Could  we  forget 
his  later  treason,  what  admiration  we  must  feel  for  his 
patriotism,  bravery  and  talent  at  Freeman's  Farm  and 
Bemis  Heights! 

Oct.  7  (1765)— The  Anti-Stamp  Act  Congress,  the 
first  Congress  of  the  American  colonies,  met  at  New 
York,  year  1765.  Nine  colonies  were  represented;  New 

255 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

York,    Virginia,    North    Carolina   and    New    Hampshire 
were  not  represented. 

Oct.  7  (1780)— Battle  of  King's  Mountain.  In  the 
Revolutionary  War  a  Briti'sh  force  under  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  had  subjugated  North  and  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia,  in  the  summer  of  1780.  Only  a  few  small  bands 
of  American  horsemen  were  left  of  the  American  forces 
that  had  opposed  Cornwallis.  A  British  detachment  of 
1,125  men  had  been  posted  in  the  foothills  of  the  Alleghe- 
nies — in  the  western  part  of  North  Carolina,  to  keep  the 
patriot  militia  from  rising.  They  occupied  a  strong 
position  on  top  of  King's  Mountain.  Apparently,  they 
did  not  fear  attack  from  the  people  who  lived  in  the 
mountains,  for  these  had  hitherto  taken  hardly  any  part 
in  the  War.  But,  on  the  morning  of  Oct.  7,  1780,  a  force 
of  1,500  mountaineers  and  backwoodsmen  from  south 
western  Virginia,  western  North  Carolina  and  the  coun 
try  farther  west,  suddenly  surrounded  King's  Mountain. 
These  Americans  had  been  educated  in  the  use  of  fire 
arms  since  early  boyhood.  A  hardy  race,  descended  from 
Scotch  Covenanters,  French  Huguenots  and  English 
sea  rovers.  They  had  six  commanders,  each  dubbed 
"colonel" :  James  Williams  of  South  Carolina,  William 
Campbell  of  Virginia,  Benjamin  Cleveland  and  Charles 
McDowell  of  North  Carolina,  and  Isaac  Shelby  and  John 
Sevier  from  the  far  country  that  was  to  be  Tennessee  and 
Kentucky.  At  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  Oct.  7  they 
advanced  in  three  separate  battalions,  up  three  sides  of 
the  mountain.  Campbell  and  Shelby  had  the  post  of 
honor.  The  British  fired  and  then  charged  down  upon 
Campbell's  men  with  bayonet.  Just  then  McDowell  and 
Sevier  poured  in  their  fire  from  the  right  flank.  The 
British  turned  to  drive  down  these  new  antagonists,  and 
the  third  battalion  under  Williams  and  Cleveland  at 
tacked  them  in  the  rear.  The  British  were  entrapped 
under  the  fire  of  the  most  deadly  marksmen  in  America. 
The  battle  continued  for  an  hour  when  Major  Ferguson, 
the  brave  British  commander  fell,  instantly  killed,  and 

256 


OCTOBER 

then  his  subordinates  surrendered.  The  British  lost  389 
killed  and  wounded,  20  missing,  and  716  taken  prisoners. 
The  American  loss  was  28  killed  (including  Colonel 
Williams)  and  60  wounded.  The  victory  of  King's 
Mountain  was  one  of  the  decisive  events  of  the  war.  It 
came  when  the  American  cause  was  at  its  lowest  ebb, 
after  a  series  of  disasters  through  two  and  a  half  years. 
It  roused  again  the  whole  nation  and  thenceforth  the 
Revolution  went  forward  without  a  reverse  to  the  final 
military  success  at  Yorktown  one  year  later. 

Oct.  7  (1853) — James  Whitcomb  Riley,  poet,  born  at 
Greenfield,  Ind.,  year  1853 ;  died  at  Indianapolis,  Ind., 
July  22,  1916.  Known  as  'The  Hoosier  Poet."  He  was 
the  greatest  and  most  popular  American  dialect  poet.  His 
best  known  poems  are  "The  Old  Swrimmin'  Hole"  (1883), 
"The  Name  of  Old  Glory,"  "Little  Orphant  Annie,"  and 
"An  Old  Sweetheart  of  Mine."  In  1916,  his  birthday 
was  celebrated  as  a  holiday  by  proclamation  of  the  gover 
nor  of  Indiana. 

Oct.  8  (1862)— Battle  of  Perryville,  Ky.,  year  1862. 
Union  victory.  Gen.  D.  C.  Buell  (Union,  58,000  men) 
vs.  Gen.  Braxton  Bragg  (Confederate,  35,000  men). 
Union  loss,  916  killed,  2,943  wounded  and  1,189  missing 
—total  5,048.  The  Confederates  reported  2,500  in  killed, 
wounded  and  missing.  The  Confederates  retreated  in 
good  order  during  the  night,  leaving  a  number  of  their 
dead  and  wounded  on  the  field. 

Oct.  9  (1701) — Charter  for  "a  college  in  Connecticut" 
(Yale),  granted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  Connecticut, 
year  1701.  The  "college"  was  started  at  Saybrook,  Conn. 
There  was  but  one  student  for  the  first  six  months,  Jacob 
Hemmingway.  Then  seven  others  entered  and  a  tutor 
was  chosen.  In  1716  it  was  decided  to  move  the  insti 
tution  to  New  Haven.  At  this  time  a  rich  merchant 
named  Elihu  Yale,  who  was  born  in  Boston,  had  lived 
his  boyhood  in  New  Haven  and  was  now  in  retirement 
in  England,  was  urged  by  Cotton  Mather  of  Boston  to 

257 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

become  the  patron  of  the  new  college  at  New  Haven 
which  "might  wear  the  name  of  Yale  College."  He  sent 
a  cargo  of  presents  "for  the  benefit  of  the  collegiate  school 
at  New  Haven"  in  1718.  The  cargo  included  rare  books, 
a  portrait  of  George  I.,  and  goods  from  the  East  Indies 
which  brought  $2,800  at  a  sale  in  Boston.  This  sum  was 
used  in  building  the  first  structure  of  the  college  in  1718. 
Thereupon  the  trustees  named  the  institution  "Yale 
College." 

Oct.  9  (1779) — Assault  upon  Savannah,  Ga.,  year 
1779.  British  victory.  Gen.  Benjamin  Lincoln  and  Count 
d'Estaing  (1,000  Americans  and  3,500  French)  vs.  Gen. 
Augustine  Prevost  (British,  1,500  men).  The  British 
had  fortified  Savannah  by  walls  and  intrenchments.  The 
Americans  and  French  had  commenced  a  regular  siege 
on  Sept.  16.  The  assault  on  Oct.  9  was  a  furious  battle 
lasting  55  minutes.  The  Americans  and  French  were  re 
pulsed,  losing  a  total  of  900  men  killed  and  wounded — 
a  bloody  disaster.  Count  Pulaeki,  an  able  Polish  noble 
man  serving  in  the  American  army,  was  killed.  The 
British  loss  was  but  55  killed  and  wounded.  After  the 
battle,  the  French  sailed  away  to  the  West  Indies  and 
the  Americans  retreated  to  South  Carolina,  leaving  the 
British  in  undisputed  possession  of  Georgia. 

Oct.  9  (1832)— The  Camden  and  Amboy  Railroad  in 
New  Jersey,  was  opened  to  traffic,  year  1832.  This  was 
the  first  railroad  to  use  the  T  rail,  which  was  invented  by 
the  president  of  the  railroad  company,  Robert  L.  Stevens. 

Oct  9  (1871)— Great  fire  in  Chicago,  year  1871.  It 
began  in  the  night  of  Oct.  8  and  raged  about  forty  hours 
before  it  was  controlled.  It  destroyed  17,430  buildings 
and  250  lives  were  lost.  Three  and  one  half  square  miles, 
or  more  exactly,  2,124  acres,  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  was 
the  extent  of  territory  burned  over.  Nearly  100,000  people 
were  made  homeless.  The  total  loss  was  approximately 
$195,000,000.  It  is  a  popular  tradition  that  one  "Mrs. 
O'Leary,"  an  humble  dairywoman,  was  milking  her  cow 

258 


OCTOBER 

by  the  light  of  a  kerosene  lamp  in  a  stable  in  DeKoven 
street,  near  the  corner  of  Jefferson  street,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  city,  a  section  of  shanty  habitations,  on  the 
night  of  Oct.  8.  The  cow — so  the  story  goes — in  a  sudden 
tantrum,  kicked  the  lamp  which  was  set  upon  a  box  or 
upon  the  floor,  and  broke  it  in  pieces;  the  spilled  oil  in 
stantly  blazed  to  the  walls  and  dry  fodder  of  the  barn  and 
thus  started  the  great  fire.  This  story  has  never  been 
authenticated  beyond  doubt. 

Oct.  9  (1915) — Fire  Prevention  Day,  instituted  in 
1915.  The  idea  came  from  the  fire  insurance  companies  of 
the  country. 

Oct.  10  (1845)— United  States  Naval  Academy  at 
Annapolis,  Md.,  opened,  year  1845.  It  was  established 
chiefly  through  the  efforts  of  George  Bancroft,  the. his 
torian,  who  was  then  secretary  of  the  navy. 

Oct.  11  (1811) — First  steam  ferry  in  the  world  estab 
lished  by  John  Stevens,  the  inventor,  year  1811.  The  boat 
was  operated  in  the  Hudson  River,  between  New  York 
and  Hoboken,  N.  J. 

Oct.  11  (1823) — New  York  Clearing  House  Associa 
tion  began  operations,  year  1823.  It  was  the  first  banking 
institution  of  the  kind  in  America.  Its  organization  was 
due  directly  to  Thomas  Tileson,  agent  of  packet  ship 
companies  and  later  a  prominent  banker. 

DISCOVERY  OF  AMERICA 

October  12,  1492 

At  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  Friday,  Oct.  12,  1492, 
a  sailor  named  Rodrigo  Triana,  in  the  little  ship  Pinta, 
keyed  to  tensest  watchfulness  by  the  chance  of  winning 
a  reward  of  10,000  marivedos  (about  $100),  cried,  "La 
Tierra!"  which  means  "Land!"  and  pointed  in  the  dark 
ness  to  a  new  shore  five  miles  distant  where  dark  trees 
rose  above  the  water.  That  sailor  was  the  first  European 
in  connected  history  to  set  eyes  upon  the  land  of  America. 
Probably  the  sailor  was  given  a  reward  for  his  watch 
fulness,  but  there  was  much  doubt  as  to  whether  he  was 

259 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

entitled  to  the  honor  of  first  actually  seeing  the  land.  He 
saw  a  dark  shadow  against  the  lighter  night  sky.  On  the 
night  before,  the  night  of  Oct.  11,  Admiral  Christopher 
Columbus,  standing  upon  the  poop  deck  of  his  flagship 
the  Santa  Maria,  saw  a  light  moving  as  if  a  torch  was 
being  borne  by  a  man  upon  the  shore,  two  leagues  away. 
The  Admiral  called  his  officers  and  pointed  out  the  light. 
It  disappeared.  In  a  few  moments  it  reappeared.  They 
knew,  then,  that  the  Great  Discovery  was  accomplished. 
And  so  Christopher  Columbus  was  acclaimed  the  actual 
as  well  as  the  constructive  discoverer  of  America. 

Columbus  was  born  in  Genoa,  Italy,  in  the  year  1436. 
His  parents  were  of  the  working  class.  His  father  was  a 
wool  comber,  or  weaver.  When  he  was  a  boy  in  Genoa, 
he  heard  much  talk  of  adventures  by  sea,  for  Genoa  was 
then,  a  powerful  republic,  its  citizens  engaged  in  trade, 
mostly  with  the  Indies  and  cities  of  the  Mediterranean. 
His  imagination  was  early  fired  by  these  stories.  He 
showed  such  strong  interest  in  ships  and  sea  voyaging 
that  his  parents  sent  him  to  the  University  of  Pavia  and 
there  he  studied  geometry,  geography,  astronomy  and 
navigation.  He  was  an  extraordinary  scholar.  He  began 
his  sea  life  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  in  the  Genoese 
navy,  and  eventually  rose  to  the  command  of  a  ship  in 
this  service.  It  was  a  hazardous  service,  for  pirates 
swarmed  in  the  Mediterranean.  Also  Genoa  was  at  war 
with  Venice.  When  Columbus  was  about  the  age  of 
thirty-four  years,  his  vessel  was  destroyed  in  a  desperate 
battle  with  the  fleet  of  Venice,  off  the  coast  of  Portugal. 
He  was  thrown  into  the  sea.  He  seized  a  floating  oar  and 
reached  the  coast  two  leagues  distant.  He  remained  in 
that  land,  Portugal,  and  took  up  his  residence  at  Lisbon, 
where  he  began  the  profession  of  map  making,  for  Por 
tugal  was  then  the  leading  maritime  nation  of  Europe, 
and  Portuguese  seamen  were  constantly  making  discov 
eries  of  new  lands  in  the  Atlantic  and  along  the  northwest 
coast  of  Africa,  and  there  was  much  need  of  maps. 

In  a  short  time  Columbus  established  himself  in  high 
260 


OCTOBER 

rank  as  a  scholar  and  scientist.  At  the  age  of  thirty-eight, 
he  married  Philippa  Perestrelo,  the  daughter  of  a  noble 
man,  and  went  with  her  to  live  in  the  little  island  of  Porto 
Santo,  one  of  the  Azores,  where  his  father-in-law  was  gov 
ernor.  In  this  little  island,  300  miles  out  in  the  Atlantic 
from  Portugal,  he  conceived  the  design  of  sailing  west 
ward  and  thus  reach  the  east  coast  of  the  Indies.  He  was 
not  the  first  who  thought  of  this,  but  he  was  the  first  who 
worked  out  a  practical  navigation  scheme  to  accomplish 
it.  For  centuries,  trade  with  India  and  Cathay  (China) 
had  been  carried  on  by  crossing  the  continent  of  Asia, 
mostly  by  caravans.  It  was  held  by  advanced  scientists 
that  the  earth  was  round,  and  it  was  known  that  Cathay, 
and  the  great  island  of  Cipango  (Japan)  were  washed  by 
a  great  sea.  But  no  scientist  had  ventured  to  estimate 
the  distance  around  the  earth.  In  this,  Columbus  was 
the  first.  His  estimate  was  far  wrong.  After  years  of 
study,  he  believed  that  the  ocean  which  washed  the 
eastern  shore  of  Cipango  (Japan)  was  the  same  ocean 
which  washed  the  west  coast  of  Portugal.  He  finally 
convinced  himself  that,  by  sailing  due  west  2,500  miles 
from  the  Canary  Islands,  he  would  reach  the  island  of 
Cipango.  He  was  nearly  right  in  his  estimate  of  the  sea 
distance  to  land,  but  the  land  he  would  reach  by  that 
route  would  be  Florida,  and  not  Japan! 

He  began,  in  1474,  to  interest  the  government  of 
Portugal  in  his  scheme.  He  had  to  have  ships,  and  ships 
cost  money.  There  was  no  wealthy  man,  nor  group  of 
private  individuals  who  would  invest  the  necessary 
amount  in  such  a  hazardous  enterprise.  In  truth,  the 
amount  needed  was  small,  comparatively — far  less  than 
the  amount  spent  by  a  single  yacht  club  nowadays  in 
building  a  yacht  to  contest  for  the  America  Cup.  Never 
theless,  there  was  no  way  to  carry  out  the  project  but  by 
making  it  a  government  venture. 

For  ten  years  Columbus  strove  to  interest  the  gov 
ernment  of  Portugal,  against  the  stupidity  of  courtiers 

261 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

and  the  jealousy  of  the  "wise"  men — scholars — of  King 
John  II.  He  was  open  and  honest  with  them,  fully  ex 
plaining  his  plans.  At  last  they  were  convinced,  but,  in 
stead  of  trusting  in  him  and  backing  him.  the  ignorant 
and  wicked  Portuguese  courtiers  stole  his  idea  and  plans 
and  secretly  fitted  out  an  expedition  of  their  own,  to  get 
for  themselves  all  the  honor  and  wealth  that  would  result 
from  the  discoverey.  The  stupid  thieves  did  not  know 
that  the  great  heart  and  soul  of  Columbus  were  needed 
for  such  a  voyage.  Their  expedition  was  a  failure.  When 
their  ship  got  out  on  the  vast  deep  west  of  the  Azores, 
the  officers  and  crew  were  stricken  with  fright.  The. 
pilots  ran  the  ship  back  to  Portugal  and  then  slunk  away. 

When  Columbus  learned  of  this  dishonesty,  he  left 
Portugal  in  indignation  and  went  to  Spain,  in  1484.  He 
began  over  again  the  work  of  interesting  a  government. 
He  entered  the  military  service  of  Ferdinand  of  Aragon 
and  Isabella  of  Castile,  the  joint  sovereigns  of  Spain,  who 
had  consolidated  their  realms  by  marriage.  Time  and 
again  he  tried  to  gain  an  audience  with  Ferdinand,  but 
was  treated  with  contempt.  But  Isabella  was  a  woman 
of  fine  imagination,  far  different  in  temperament  from  her 
saturnine  husband.  To  her  Columbus  turned,  and  his 
petition  roused  her  interest.  Still,  she  would  not  herself 
decide,  but  turned  the  matter  over  to  her  confessor,  who 
was  skeptical,  but  who  called  together  the  learned  men 
of  the  kingdom  in  1486  to  consider  the  matter.  The  ma 
jority  were  against  the  scheme,  saying  it  was  visionary. 
So  it  was  dropped.  Yet  Columbus  did  not  give  up  hope, 
but  for  five  years  more  perseveringly.  strove  to  interest 
Isabella.  At  last,  in  1491,  wearied  with  disappointment, 
and  after  seventeen  years'  continuous  effort  to  move  the 
souls  of  the  sovereigns  of  Portugal  and  Spain,  he  resolved 
to  go  to  Paris  and  lay  his  plans  before  Charles  VIII.,  tbe 
king  of  France.' 

The  story  is  told  that  he  and  his  little  son  were 
wearily  approaching  the  Port  of  Palos,  at  the  close  of  a 
day  in  October,  1491,  and  stopped  at  a  Franciscan  monas- 

262 


OCTOBER 

tery  to  ask  for  refreshments.  The  prior,  Father  Juan 
Perez  de  Marchena,  was  struck  with  the  noble  bearing 
and  eloquence  of  Columbus,  and  grew  strongly  interested 
in  his  plan.  He  sent  for  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon  and  other 
navigators  of  Palos  and  other  scientific  men  to  confer 
with  Columbus.  They  were  convinced.  Pinzon  offered 
to  furnish  a  ship  and  command  it  for  the  expedition. 
Father  Perez  had  formerly  been  Queen  Isabella's  con 
fessor.  He  urged  Columbus  to  remain,  while  he  wrote 
to  the  Queen  asking  that  Columbus  be  given  an  interview 
with  her.  The  Queen  consented.  At  last  Columbus  was 
given  the  audience  he  had  striven  for  during  seven  years. 
But  Ferdinand  was  coldly  skeptical.  Isabella  was  deeply 
impressed.  Yet  again  she  referred  the  matter  to  her  con 
fessor  and  he  again  opposed  Columbus,  and  Isabella 
would  not  decide.  Wounded  and  disheartened,  Columbus 
left  the  court  and  began  again  his  journey  to  France. 
Then  Providence  intervened. 

The  treasurer  of  Aragon,  Luis  de  Santangel,  who 
warmly  supported  Columbus,  hearing  that  the  negotia 
tions  had  been  broken  off,  rushed  into  the  Queen's  rooms 
and  reproached  her  for  throwing  away  the  golden  oppor 
tunity  to  immortalize  her  name.  Others  of  the  court  sec 
onded  Santangel.  She  was  convinced.  Impulsively  she 
ordered  a  courier  to  ride  swiftly  and  bring  back  Colum 
bus.  He  returned  with  the  courier. 

Yet  even  now  Ferdinand  objected  that  the  war 
against  the  Moors  had  left  little  in  the  treasury  and  this 
could  not  be  spared.  Thereupon  Isabella  arose  above  her 
husband  and  declared  she  alone  would  undertake  the  fit 
ting  out  of  the  expedition  on  behalf  of  her  crown  of  Cas 
tile.  She  publicly  announced  that  she  would  pledge  the 
crown  jewels,  if  necessary,  to  supply  the  money  needed. 
Ferdinand  then  joined  with  her,  and  the  terms  of  agree 
ment  with  Columbus  were  made  and  the  formal  paper 
signed,  on  April  17,  1492.  At  once  preparations  began 
for  the  voyage. 

The  Pinzons  of  Palos  were  the  earliest  among  the 
263 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

seafaring  friends  of  Columbus,  so  it  was  decided  to  fit  out 
the  expedition  at  Palos.  Three  vessels  were  secured,  a 
carrack — similar  in  build  to  what  is  known  as  a  galleon — 
and  two  smaller  vessels  called  caravels.  The  carrack  was 
named  Santa  Maria.  She  was  63  feet  in  length  and  20 
feet  in  beam,  of  150  tons  displacement.  She  was  rigged 
with  three  masts,  two  square  sails  on  the  mainmast,  one 
square  sail  on  the  foremast,  and  a  triangular  sail  on  the 
mizzenmast.  The  other  two  vessels  were  named  respec 
tively  Nina  and  Pinta,  with  two  masts  each.  The  Santa 
Maria  was  smaller  than  the  little  Mayflower  which  later 
brought  the  Pilgrims  to  Plymouth. 

At  that  time,  the  unit  of  financial  measurement  in 
Spain  was  the  maravedi.  Historians  differ  widely  on  the 
value  of  the  maravedi  expressed  in  modern  money.  Tak 
ing  the  statement  of  historian  John  Fiske  that  276*4  ma~ 
ravedis  equalled  a  dollar  in  the  time  of  Columbus,  but  that 
an  ounce  of  silver  then  was  worth  four  ounces  to-day  in 
U.  S.  coin,  we  can  assume  that  the  maravedi  was  worth  a 
little  more  than  one  cent  in  U.  S.  ~oin  of  to-day,  or  92  in 
a  dollar.  On  this  basis,  the  following  table  includes  the 
total  of  contributions  from  all  sources  to  the  expense  of 
the  expedition: 

Queen    Isabella,    from    Castile    Treasury 

(1,140,000  maravedis) $12,390 

Queen  Isabella,  loan  from  Santangel  the 
treasurer  (1,000,000  maravedis) 10,870 

Columbus  (through  his  friends)  (500,000 
maravedis)  5,435 

Other  sources  including  contribution  levied 
in  the  town  of  Palos  (1,340,000  mara 
vedis)  13,478 

Total $42,173 

The  preparations  lasted  three  months.  A  remarkable 
crew  was  got  together — some  pirates,  some  prisoners  for 
debt  who  were  let  out  of  jaft  for  the  voyage,  other  crimi 
nals  also  released  for  the  adventure,  and  a  few  law-abid- 

264 


OCTOBER 

ing  manners  who  had  full  trust  in  their  Admiral.  Alto 
gether,  including  officers  and  men,  there  were  ninety  per 
sons  in  the  three  ships. 

On  Aug.  3,  1492,  they  sailed,  with  little  ado  and  few 
God  Speeds,  from  Palos  for  the  Canary  Islands.  This 
short  preliminary  voyage,  over  a  route  well  known,  tested 
somewhat  the  character  of  the  crew.  Columbus  found 
them  even  worse  than  he  had  anticipated.  But  he  reached 
the  Canaries,  repaired  his  ships,  and  again  sailed,  from  the 
island  of  Gomera,  on  Sept.  6,  1492,  out  into  the  vast  un 
known  deep  where  no  man  had  gone  before. 

The  story  of  this  voyage  is  fully  told  by  Columbus  in 
his  diary  or  log,  one  of  the  great  documents  of  the  world. 
It  is  a  story  which  every  American  should  read.  Its 
climax  is  exceeded  by  only  one  other  recorded  event  in 
human  history — the  coming  of  Jesus. 

At  10  o'clock  at  night  of  Oct.  11,  1492,  Columbus, 
standing  upon  the  "castle"  of  the  poop  deck  of  the  Santa 
Maria,  beheld  a  small  light  glimmering  and  knew  land 
was  near.  Four  hours  later,  the  sailor  Rodrigo  de  Triana 
cried  out,  "La  Tierra !"  as  was  told  at  the  beginning  of 
this  article.  Immediately  a  gun  was  fired  on  the  Pinta 
and  the  ships  came  to  anchor,  to  await  the  day.  At  sun 
rise  they  went  on  shore.  Columbus  kneeled  upon  the 
ground  and  all  his  men,  and  gave  thanks  to  God.  He  soon 
found  that  the  land  was  an  island,  and  he  named  it  San 
Salvador.  It  was  one  of  a  group  which  is  now  known  as 
the  Bahamas,  southeast  of  Florida.  Strange  to  say,  we 
do  not  now  know,  with  certainty,  which  one  of  the  many 
islands  in  this  group  is  San  Salvador.  The  majority 
opinion  is  that  Columbus  landed  on  what  the  English 
later  called  Cat  Island,  so  called  now. 

The  total  distance  sailed  by  Columbus  from  the 
Canaries  to  the  island  discovered  on  Oct.  12,  1492,  was, 
according  to  his  own  report,  figured  by  dead  reckoning, 
about  3,220  knots  or  geographical  miles.  The  time  of  the 
passage  was  35  days.  The  average  daily  run  was  92  miles. 
A  very  good  passage,  as  modern  sailor  men  would  say. 

265 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Even  nowadays,  a  sailing  ship,  following  the  route  of  Co 
lumbus  through  the  Sargasso  Sea,  would  be  credited  with 
a  fast  performance  if  it  made  the  passage  in  eighteen  days. 
Probably  the  average  trans-Atlantic  sailing  ship  passage 
over  this  route  during  the  past  400  years  is  not  less  than 
25  days. 

As  time  goes  by,  more  and  more  we  of  America  look 
upon  Columbus  as  our  very  own,  the  first  of  all  Ameri 
cans,  who  stamped  his  personality  upon  the  continent, 
and  lives  with  us,  always,  in  marvellous  harmony  with 
the  spirit  of  our  institutions. 

Oct.  12  (1710) — Jonathan  Trumbull,  clergyman,  mer 
chant,  lawyer  and  statesman,  born  at  Lebanon,  Conn., 
year  1710;  died  at  Lebanon,  Aug.  17,  1785.  He  was  a 
close  friend  of  Washington,  who  habitually  spoke  of  him 
as  "Brother  Jonathan"  and,  during  the  Revolution,  when 
a  military  council  was  being  held,  would  often  call  upon 
him  with  the  phrase,  "Let  us  hear  what  Brother  Jonathan 
has  to  say."  This  phrase  became  popular  throughout  the 
new  nation  and  Governor  Trumbull  came  to  be  recog 
nized  as  the  typical  American.  In  time,  the  character 
"Brother  Jonathan"  was  used  by  Europeans,  as  well  as 
witty  Americans,  to  personify  the  United  States.  During 
the  War  of  1812,  the  facetious  name,  "Uncle  Sam"  was 
first  used  to  designate  the  government  of  the  United 
States.  The  story  goes  that  Samuel  Wilson — known  to 
his  neighbors  as  "Uncle  Sam,"  was  a  government  inspec 
tor  of  beef  at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  where  he  passed  upon  the  sup 
plies  for  the  American  army  then  operating  near  Lake 
Champlain.  A  contractor,  named  Elbert  Anderson,  sell 
ing  beef  to  the  war  department,  marked  the  barrels,  "E. 
A.",  his  initials,  and  added  "U.  S."  for  "United  States." 
But  the  workmen  under  Wilson  who  handled  the  barrels 
did  not  know  what  "U.  S."  stood  for.  One  of  them  sug 
gested  "Uncle  Sam,"  their  superior  and  this  was  accepted. 
The  story  spread  and  it  so  delighted  the  wits  that  it 
quickly  became  a  colloquial  name  for  the  government. 

266 


OCTOBER 

But  it  was  many  years  before  it  supplanted  "Brother 
Jonathan"  and  even  now  many  Europeans,  including  lead 
ing  cartoon  artists,  prefer  the  older  soubriquet. 

Oct.  13  (1744)— "Molly  Pitcher,"  heroine  of  the 
American  Revolution,  born  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  year  1744. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  John  George  Ludwig,  a  German 
settler.  Her  right  name  was  Mary  Ludwig.  In  1769  she 
was  married  to  John  Hays,  a  barber.  When  the  Revolu 
tionary  War  began,  in  1775,  Hays  was  given  rate  as  a 
gunner  in  the  continental  artillery.  "Molly"  followed 
him  in  the  army — a  common  custom  of  the  wives  of  pri 
vate  soldiers  in  those  days.  She  laundered  for  the  officers. 
At  the  Battle  of  Monmouth  (June  28,  1778)  she  carried 
water  from  a  spring  to  the  soldiers  in  action.  Her  hus 
band,  the  gunner  in  charge  of  a  cannon,  was  shot  down, 
but  not  killed,  in  a  charge  by  the  British.  There  was  no 
one  near  who  was  competent  to  load,  aim  and  fire  the 
cannon,  so  she  dropped  her  pail — or  mayhap  her  pitcher, 
seized  a  rammer,  and  continued  loading  and  firing  the 
gun  until  the  end  of  the  battle.  General  Washington 
commissioned  her  a  sergeant — the  first  woman  military 
officer  in  America.  It  is  said  she  served  eight  years  in 
the  army.  After  the  war  she  was  retired  as  an  officer 
on  half  pay.  She  was  married  to  Sergeant  George 
McCauley,  a  worthless  man,  after  the  death  of  her  first 
husband.  She  died  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  on  Jan.  22,  1823,  aged 
79  years.  It  is  not  known  how  she  came  to  have  the 
name  "Pitcher." 

Oct.  13  (1792) — Corner  stone  of  the  President's  house 
—the  "White  House"  at  Washington— laid,  year  1792. 

Oct.  14  (1644)— William  Penn,  founder  of  Pennsyl 
vania,  born  in  London,  England,  year  1644;  died  at  Rus- 
combe,  Berkshire,  England,  July  30,  1718.  He  was  thirty- 
eight  years  old  when  he  came  to  America,  in  1682.  He 
went  back  to  England  in  1684  and  engaged  in  affairs  of 
State.  He  returned  to  America  in  1699  and  lived  in  Phila 
delphia  and  at  Pennsbury  Manor  near  Bristol,  Pa.,  for  two 

267 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

years,  when  he  returned  to  England  where  he  remained 
until  his  death.  He  was  married  twice  and  had  four  sons. 
He  is  chiefly  famous  because  of  his  humanitarianism 
which  was  most  strikingly  shown  in  his  dealings  with  the 
Indians.  He  was  a  Quaker,  and  it  is  said  that  never  a 
drop  of  Quaker  blood  was  ever  shed  by  the  Indians  in  all 
their  wars  against  the  white  men  of  the  English  colonies 
during  100  years.  No  treaty  made  by  Penn  with  the 
Indians  was  ever  broken. 

Oct.  15  (1874) — Great  monument  to  Abraham  Lin 
coln  at  Oak  Ridge  Cemetery,  Springfield,  111.,  dedicated, 
year  1874.  In  the  crypt  of  this  monument  his  remains  are 
lying. 

Oct.  16  (1859) — John  Brown's  insurrection.  He  cap 
tured  Harper's  Ferry,  Va.,  and  forcibly  freed  many  slaves, 
year  1859.  He  was  taken  prisoner,  condemned  to  death, 
and  was  hanged  by  officials  of  the  State  of  Virginia.  (See 
May  9.) 

Oct.  16  (1891) — A  mob  in  the  streets  of  Valparaiso, 
Chile,  attacked  eight  of  the  crew  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Baltimore, 
year  1891.  Two  American  sailors  died  from  wounds.  The 
incident  occurred  during  a  revolution  in  Chile.  Captain 
Robley  D.  Evans  was  later  sent  in  the  U.  S.  S.  Yorktown 
to  protect  American  interests  and  with  only  his  little  ship, 
defied  the  entire  navy  of  Chile.  Because  of  this,  he  was 
given  the  soubriquet,  "Fighting  Bob  Evans." 

Oct.  17  (1683)— "The  Charter  of  Liberties  and  Priv 
ileges,"  also  called  "Dongan's  Charter,"  was  framed  by  a 
general  assembly  of  free  holders  of  the  province  of  New 
York,  year  1683.  This  assembly  was  called  together  by 
Thomas  Dongan,  the  English  governor,  an  able  and  broad 
minded  man.  The  charter  was  drawn  by  Mayor  Nicholas 
Bayard  of  the  City  of  New  York  and  Recorder  James 
Graham.  It  was  strikingly  liberal  for  that  time.  It  was 
submitted  to  the  Duke  of  York,  the  proprietor  of  the 
Colony,  who  signed  it,  but  did  not  get  the  confirmation  of 
the  King,  then  Charles  II.  When  the  Duke  himself  be- 

268 


OCTOBER 

came  King  James  II. ,  in  1685,  he  also  withheld  confirma 
tion,  believing  that  the  charter  was  too  liberal.  But  Don- 
gan  persisted  and  finally,  in  1686,  King  James  did  con 
firm  it.  The  plan  and  government  of  the  present  city  of 
New  York  is  based  upon  this  charter. 

Oct.  17  (1777) — Surrender  of  the  British  army  com 
manded  by  Gen.  John  Burgoyne  to  the  American  army 
commanded  by  'Gen.  Horatio  Gates,  year  1777.  (See 
Saratoga,  Oct.  7.) 

Oct.  18  (1748)— Treaty  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  (France) 
between  England  and  France,  year  1748.  This  ended 
what  is  known  as  King  George's  War,  or  the  War  of  the 
Austrian  Succession.  It  began  in  April,  1744  and  lasted 
four  and  one-half  years.  It  was  waged  in  Europe  and 
America.  The  chief  military  event  in  America  was  the 
capture  of  the  fortress  of  Louisburg  by  the  English  and 
colonists.  By  the  treaty,  this  fortress  was  restored  to  the 
French,  and  the  boundaries  of  French  and  English  terri 
tory  remained  the  same  as  at  the  beginning  of  the  war. 
In  effect,  so  far  as  America  was  concerned,  the  war  was 
a  draw. 

Oct.  18  (1854)— Ostend  Manifesto,  year  1854.  The 
slavery  leaders  in  the  United  States,  who  had  controlled 
the  government  for  many  years,  strongly  desired  to  an 
nex  Cuba  to  the  United  States  and  perpetuate  slavery  in 
the  island.  In  President  Folk's  administration  (1845- 
1849),  they  had  offered' $100,000,000  to  Spain  as  a  pur 
chase  price  for  the  island,  but  the  offer  was  refused.  They 
then  organized  filibustering  expeditions  designed  to 
arouse  the  Cubans  and  bring  about  a  revolution,  which 
was  to  end  in  annexation.  This  idea  became  attractive 
to  many  Northern  leaders.  In  August,  1854,  President 
Pierce  ordered  Minister  Buchanan  at  London,  Minister 
Mason  at  Paris  and  Minister  Soule  at  Madrid  to  meet  at 
Ostend,  in  Belgium,  and  confer  about  gaining  Cuba. 
These  three  ministers  did  meet  and  draw  up  a  paper, 
known  as  a  "manifesto,"  which  was  published.  It  de- 

269 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

clared  that  the  Union  could  not  be  secure  "as  long  as 
Cuba  is  not  embraced  within  its  boundaries"  and  also  that 
unless  annexed,  Cuba  would  "be  Africanized  and  become 
a  second  San  Domingo"  and  would  seriously  "endanger" 
the  Union.  The  declaration  was  received  with  astonish 
ment  by  the  Northern  people  and  by  Europe.  It  was 
fiercely  denounced.  But  the  Democratic  party  platforms 
of  1856  and  1860  affirmed  the  Ostend  doctrine  and  favored 
the  "acquisition  of  Cuba."  After  the  Civil  War,  the  ques 
tion  ceased  to  be  an  issue. 

Oct.  18  (1867) — Alaska  formally  transferred  by 
Russia  to  the  possession  of  the  United  States,  year  1867. 
The  treaty  providing  for  the  purchase  of  the  territory  for 
$7,200,000  had  been  ratified  by  the  U.  S.  Senate  on  May 
20,  1867. 

Oct.  18  (1892) — Long  Distance  telephone  was  opened 
between  New  York  and  Chicago,  year  1892. 

SURRENDER  OF  LORD  CORNWALLIS  AND  HIS 
ARMY  AT  YORKTOWN 

October  19,  1781 

Of  all  the  British  commanders  in  America  during  the 
Revolutionary  War,  Lord  Cornwallis  was  the  especial  pet 
of  the  British  ministry.  He  was,  indeed,  the  most  active 
of  the  British  generals,  and,  it  may  be  said,  the  most  bril 
liant — if  that  word'be  allowed,  in  some  degree,  to  describe 
any  of  the  commanders  of  King- George  III.  in  that  war. 
Certainly  Cornwallis  had  shown  marked  ability  in  his 
compaign  of  1780  when  he  almost  completely  subdued  the 
American  forces  and  the  authority  of  the  American  Con 
gress  in  the  South,  in  the  Carolinas  and  Georgia.  But 
later,  in  the  winter  of  1780-1781,  the  American  power  was 
restored  under  Gen.  Nathanael  Greene,  and  it  is  an  open 
question  whether  Cornwallis  or  Greene  was  the  greater 
commander.  American  historians  are  apt  to  rank  Greene 
as  the  abler  general,  and,  it  is  conceded  even  by  the 
British,  Greene  was  the  ablest  American  general  under 

270 


OCTOBER 

Washington.  It  is  true  that  Greene  recovered  the  Caro- 
linas  from  Cornwallis,  though  the  latter  was  never  de 
feated  decisively  in  any  general  pitched  battle  of  that  cam 
paign.  However,  judged  by  results,  Greene  was  undeni 
ably  the  victor.  Cornwallis,  seeing  that  the  people  of  the 
Carolinas  were  steadily  rising  against  him,  and  believing 
that  his  force  was  not  strong  enough  to  destroy  Greene's 
army  and  resubjugate  those  colonies,  devised  a  new  plan. 
He  proposed  to  the  British  ministry  early  in  1781  that  the 
war  be  carried  into  Virginia — which  had  not,  during  six 
years,  seen  any  major  military  movement.  Cornwallis 
suggested  that  Virginia  might  easily  be  conquered,  and 
thus  the  favorite  military  principle  of  the  Ministry,  the 
"wedge  drive,"  would  be  successfully  put  in  practice. 
Notwithstanding  that  Burgoyne's  wedge  drive  from 
Cana'da  toward  New  York  had  failed,  the  Ministry  still 
held  that  the  war  would  be  won  by  driving  a  wedge,  or 
wedges,  through  the  Colonies.  So  Cornwallis  was  allowed 
to  have  his  way,  though  his  superior,  Sir  Henry  Clinton 
at  New  York,  disapproved  of  the  plan.  That  is  to  say,  the 
Ministry  overruled  their  commander-in-chief,  Sir  Henry 
Clinton,  and  practically  gave  Cornwallis  an  independent 
command,  to  carry  out  his  idea  of  "wedging"  through  Vir- 
ghiia.  Naturally,  Sir  Henry  Clinton  was  not  pleased,  nor 
did  he  have  a  high  opinion  of  Cornwallis.  This  fact  may 
have  had  an  important  bearing  on  the  sequel. 

In  May,  1781,  Cornwallis  abandoned  the  Carolinas 
and  marched  with  his  army,  numbering  about  7,500  men, 
to  Virginia.  He  hoped  to  surprise  and  capture  the  small 
American  army  of  1,500  men  there  under  Lafayette.  But 
Lafayette,  by  shrewd  manoeuvering  escaped,  and  further 
more,  in  a  campaign  around  the  vicinity  of  the  James 
River,  held  Cornwallis  in  the  country  near  Jamestown. 
The  British  army,  in  the  middle  of  June,  was  at  Williams- 
burg. 

Now  the  British  campaign  got  into  a  mess  of  inco 
herence.  Cornwallis,  between  June  11  and  June  19,  re 
ceived  three  letters  from  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  ordering  that 

271 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

3,000  men  be  sent  to  New  York,  which  city,  so  Clinton 
feared,  was  about  to  be  attacked  by  the  combined  Ameri 
can  and  French  forces  under  Washington.  While  Corn- 
wallis  was  on  his  march  to  the  sea  to  carry  out  this  order, 
he  received  another  letter  telling  him  to  send  the  3,000 
men  to  Philadelphia.  Before  he  could  start  them,  another 
letter  came  ordering  that  the  3,000  men  be  hurried  to  New 
York.  Cornwallis  did  hurry,  but  before  the  troops  could 
sail,  on  July  11  and  15  came  the  sixth  and  seventh  letters 
directing  him  to  keep  all  his  troops  in  Virginia,  and  to 
take  position  at  Old  Point  Comfort  and  wait  for  the  Eng 
lish  fleet  which  was  to  be  sent  to  Hampton  Roads.  We 
shall  now  see  why  Clinton  had  fallen  into  a  seeming  letter 
writing  mania. 

At  this  time  the  main  American  army,  under  Wash 
ington,  was  at  Newburgh  on  the  Hudson;  it  numbered 
about  8,000  men.  Count  Rochambeau  with  his  6,000 
French  troops  was  at  Newport  where  he  had  been  tied 
up  for  months.  From  the  beginning  of  the  year,  Wash 
ington  had  scanned  the  continent,  hour  by  hour,  seeking 
an  opening  for  a  stroke  that  would  end  the  war.  At  last, 
on  May  22,  he  received  news  from  France  that  the  new 
French  fleet  under  Count  de  Grasse  was  about  to  be  sent 
to  the  West  Indies  and  thence  to  the  United  States  coast, 
to  cooperate  with  Washington  and  Rochambeau,  and  all 
general  movements  of  the  French  were  to  be  directed  by 
Washington.  This  was  the  best  news  he  had  received 
since  the  treaty  between  France  and  the  United  States 
had  been  signed  two  years  before. 

At  once  Washington  set  out  and  met  Rochambeau 
at  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  and  together  they  planned  the  last 
great  campaign  of  the  war.  They  let  it  be  known  that 
they  were  to  make  an  attack  on  New  York  when  the 
French  fleet  arrived.  This  news  was  carried  by  spies  to* 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  just  as  Washington  had  foreseen. 
But  Washington  prevailed  on  the  French  minister,  Lu- 
zerne,  to  write  a  letter  to  de  Grasse  urging  him  to  bring 
troops  as  well  as  ships  from  the  West  Indies,  and  to  stop 

272 


OCTOBER 

on  his  way  north  and  enter  Chesapeake  Bay,  where,  it 
was  explained,  he,  de  Grasse,  "might  find  an  opportunity 
for  an  important  stroke."  It  may  be  well  believed  that 
the  real  objective  of  the  campaign  was  known  only  to  two 
men — Washington  and  Rochambeau.  Washington  had 
established  an  astonishingly  efficient  express  service 
throughout  the  States.  He  received  daily  full  reports  of 
the  operations  of  the  British  army  in  far  away  Virginia. 
He  planned  to  capture  that  army.  But  with  marvellous 
adroitness  he  concealed  his  purpose  from  the  British  com- 
mander-in-chief  at  New  York  and  thus  prevented  the  re 
inforcement  of  Cornwallis. 

The  French  army  under  Rochambeau  left  Newport 
and  marched  to  join  Washington.  The  two  forces  were 
united  at  Dobbs  Ferry  on  the  Hudson,  a  few  miles  north 
of  New  York,  on  July  6.  The  French  numbered  4,756 
men;  the  Americans  about  6,000.  Clinton  held  New 
York  with  14,000  effectives  in  fortified  lines. 

Washington  made  much  show  of  deadly  determina 
tion  to  attack  New  York,  and  kept  Clinton  in  a  kind  of 
nightmare,  during  which  he,  Clinton,  wrote  his  batch  of 
letters  to  Cornwallis;  but  the  American  commander  had 
no  intent  to  move  until  he  heard  from  de  Grasse.  On 
Aug.  14  came  the  letter  from  de  Grasse,  written  from 
Haiti  in  the  West  Indies.  It  stated  clearly  that  the 
French  fleet  of  29  ships,  would  bring  3,200  soldiers  and 
siege  artillery  directly  to  Chesapeake  Bay,  prepared  for 
instant  operations.  Instantly  Washington  decided  to 
march  his  army  to  the  Chesapeake  and  meet  de  Grasse 
there.  His  express  from  Lafayette  had  told  him  that 
Cornwallis,  had  changed  his  first  plan  to  take  position 
at  Old  Point  Comfort,  and  was  then  settling  down  at 
Yorktown  instead. 

From  Dobbs  Ferry  to  Yorktown  is  400  miles.  The 
allied  army  began  the  march  on  Aug.  19,  1781,  crossing 
the  Hudson  and  going  beside  the  Hackensack  River  to 
Newark  and  New  Brunswick,  keeping  Clinton  in  his 
usual  alarm  by  a  feint  attack  on  Staten  Island.  They 

273 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

pushed  on  across  New  Jersey,  on  through  Philadelphia 
and  straight  south  to  the  northermost  water  of  Chesa 
peake  Bay  called  Head  of  Elk  in  Maryland.  Two  thou 
sand  men  were  left  in  the  lines  at  Dobbs  Ferry  to  keep 
up  the  pretense  of  a  contemplated  attack  on  New  York. 

On  Sept.  2,  fourteen  days  after  Washington  left 
Dobbs  Ferry,  Clinton  wrote  to  Cornwallis:  "By  intelli 
gence  which  I  have  this  day  received,  it  would  seem  that 
Mr.  Washington  is  moving  an  army  southward,  with  an 
appearance  of  haste,  and  gives  out  that  he  expects  the 
cooperation  of  a  considerable  French  fleet."  On  that 
day  the  major  part  of  Washington's  army  was  south  of 
Philadelphia,  115  miles  from  Dobbs  Ferry,  and  Sir  Henry 
Clinton  had  just  discovered  that  he  need  not  fear  an 
attack  in  the  next  hour  from  his  terrible  ubiquitous 
enemy ! 

The  allies  reached  Head  of  Elk  on  Sept.  8  and  rested, 
awaiting  news  from  de  Grasse. 

Meanwhile,  on  Aug.  30,  de  Grasse  had  entered  Chesa 
peake  Bay  and  three  days  later  the  French  troops 'were 
landed  and  joined  Lafayette  at  Williamsburg.  On  that 
same  day,  the  British  fleet  under  Admiral  Graves  arrived 
off  the  Chesapeake  capes  and  discovered  the  French  fleet 
inside.  Immediately  after  landing  his  troops,  de  Grasse 
sailed  boldly  out  to  Yorktown  with  all  his  fleet  to  meet 
the  British  fleet.  A  sea  battle  between  the  two  fleets  took 
place  just  outside  the  Chesapeake  capes,  lasting  two  hours. 
(See  Sept.  5,  Battle  of  Lynnhaven  Bay.)  The  British 
lost  two  ships  and  suffered  damage  to  other  ships.  The 
total  loss  of  men  in  the  two  fleets  was  about  550.  The 
British  withdrew,  manoeuvered  for  five  days,  and  then 
sailed  back  to  New  York  for  repairs.  Judged  by  results, 
this  sea  battle  was  a  victory  for  the  French,  and  the  most 
vital  naval  battle  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  Had  the 
British  won,  de  Grasse  would  have  been  driven  away, 
Cornwallis  would  have  been  safe  under  the  guns  of  the 
British  ships,  Washington  would  have  gone  back  to  New 
York  with  his  army,  and  probably  the  Revolution  would 

274 


OCTOBER 

have  failed.  As  it  was,  de  Grasse  held  control  of  the 
Chesapeake  seaboard,  and  swiftly  Washington's  plan  was 
consummated.  There  came  to  aid  de  Grasse  a  French 
squadron  of  seven  ships  and  a  train  of  siege  guns  from 
Newport.  With  the  arrival  of  this  squadron  under  De 
Barras,  the  British  were  rendered  altogether  inferior  in 
sea  power  on  the  Western  Atlantic,  for  the  first  time  in 
many  years.  This  fact  had  a  tremendous  bearing  on  the 
outcome  of  the  American  Revolution. 

The  French  sent  transports  up  the  Chesapeake  to 
carry  Washington's  army  to  the  neighborhood  of  York- 
town.  From  the  day  that  the  allies  laid  siege  to  York- 
town,  on  Sept.  28,  1781,  the  story  of  the  final  act  of  the 
Revolution  went  forward  with  the  sureness  of  fate.  No 
prisoner,  upon  the  day  of  his  sentence,  was  more  fatally 
bent  to  his  end  than  was  Cornwallis  bent  to  the  catas 
trophe  on  the  day  that  Washington  laid  siege  to  York- 
town. 

There  were  5,645  Continentals  and  3,200  new  militia 
in  the  American  corps  of  the  allied  army.  The  French 
numbered  7,800,  making  approximately  16,600  men  under 
Washington.  The  Americans  were  organized  into  three 
brigades  under  General  Lincoln,  General  Lafayette,  and 
General  Steuben.  The  French  had  two  brigades  under 
General  Rochambeau  and  General  Saint-Simon.  The 
allies  enveloped  Yorktown  in  a  semi-circle,  both  ends 
resting  on  the  York  River.  The  American  troops  oc 
cupied  the  right  quadrant  of  the  line,  and  the  French  the 
left.  In  the  center  between  them  was  Washington's 
headquarters  and  nearby  was  Rochambeau's  head 
quarters.  The  French  fleet,  lying  below,  commanded  the 
York  River. 

Did  Cornwallis  realize  his  desperate  position  as  soon 
as  the  allies  surrounded  him?  Apparently  not.  He  kept 
faith  in  the  British  navy.  He  believed  that  the  British 
fleet  would  come  back  and  drive  away  the  French.  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  sent  him  word  that  he  would  sail  with 
4,000  men  from  New  York  to  aid  him  as  soon  as  the 

275 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

British  admiral  could  furnish  a  convoy.  Alas  for  Corn- 
wallis!  The  British  admiral  was  delayed  at  New  York, 
repairing  his  ships,  until  it  was  too  late. 

Day  and  night  for  three  weeks  Washington  gripped 
with  strangle  hold  the  doomed  British  army.  Cornwallis 
resisted  desperately.  Battles  were  fought  in  which  hero 
ism  was  the  common  attribute  of  both  sides.  In  vain 
Cornwallis  looked  for  Sir  Henry  Clinton's  aid,  as  Bur- 
goyne  had  looked  for  aid  from  Howe.  On  the  night  of 
Oct.  16,  Cornwallis  made  his  last  effort  to  escape.  He 
had  barely  started  to  cross  the  river  when  a  storm  arose 
which  sank  or  dispersed  most  of  his  boats.  Then,  at 
last,  when  his  ammunition  was  exhausted,  his  defence 
works  battered  to  pieces,  and  a  drum  fire  of  artillery  was 
destroying  or  demoralizing  his  men,  he  surrendered,  on 
Oct.  19,  1781,  with  all  his  army  numbering  8,077  in  all. 

The  British  loss  during  the  siege  was  156  killed  and 
326  wounded.  The  allies  lost  75  killed  and  199  wounded, 
of  whom  two-thirds  were  French. 

Five  days  later,  on  Oct.  24,  Sir  Henry  Clinton  arrived 
off  the  Chesapeake  capes  with  the  British  fleet  of  thirty- 
five  ships,  and  7,000  of  his  best  men  to  reinforce  Corn 
wallis.  There  he  heard  the  news,  and  straight  back  to 
New  York  he  went. 

When  the  news  of  the  surrender  reached  London, 
on  Nov.  25,  the  prime  minister,  Lord  North,  threw  up 
his -arms  wildly  crying:  "O  God!  it  is  all  over!  it  is  all 
over !  it  is  all  over !" 

And  so  it  was.  The  surrender  of  Cornwallis  ended 
the  War,  actually,  though  peace  was  not  formally  de 
clared  until  Sept.  3,  1783,  nearly  two  years  later. 

Yorktown  was  essentially  a  French  victory,  except 
that  it  was  planned  and  altogether  guided  by  George 
Washington. 

Oct.  19  (1864)— Battle  of  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  year 
1864.  Gen.  Philip  H.  Sheridan  (Union,  25,000  men)  vs. 
Gen.  Jubal  Anderson  Early  (Confederate,  18,000  men). 

276 


OCTOBER 

Union  victory.  Sheridan  was  temporarily  absent,  at 
Winchester,  eighteen  miles  away,  and  General  Wright 
was  in  command  of  the  Union  army,  when  the  Confed 
erates  delivered  a  well  planned  surprising  attack  at  dawn 
and  swept  back  the  Federals.  The  whole  Union  army 
was  in  retreat  at  9  a.  m.  In  the  meantime  Sheridan, 
alone  with  a  few  aides  at  Winchester,  had  heard  the 
booming  of  guns,  and,  after  a  time,  realized  that  a  gen 
eral  battle  was  on.  He  mounted  his  black  horse  and 
galloped  twelve  miles  when  he  met  the  first  fugitives  of 
his  army.  He  shouted  to  them:  "Face  the  other  way, 
boys !  We're  going  back  to  our  camp !  We're  going  to 
lick  them  out  of  their  boots."  He  dashed  along  the  lines, 
cheering  and  reforming  them.  A  wave  of  courage  and 
confidence  carried  through  the  whole  Union  army.  It 
turned  and  advanced  against  the  hitherto  victorious  Con 
federates  and  gained  a  signal  victory.  Early  retreated 
and  Sheridan  occupied  his  old  camp,  and  thereafter  con 
trolled  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah.  The  Union  loss  in 
the  battle  was  569  killed,  3,425  wounded  and  1,770  miss 
ing  (prisoners).  The  Confederate  loss  was  about  1,800 
killed  and  wounded  and  1,000  taken  prisoners. 

The  poet,  James  Buchanan  Read  has  immortalized 
the  main  incident  of  this  battle  in  his  stirring  poem, 
"Sheridan's  Ride." 

Oct.  19  (1918)— Fourth  Liberty  Loan  of  $6,000,000,000 
at  4%%  closed,  year  1918.  It  was  over-subscribed.  Ap 
proximately  22,000,000  persons  and  corporations  bought 
the  bonds  during  a  period  of  three  weeks,  beginning  Sep 
tember  28th.  This  was  the  largest  single  government 
loan  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

Oct.  20  (1774)— The  "American  Association,"  the 
first  of  the  national  organizations  bearing  that  title  was 
formed  at  Philadelphia  by  fifty-two  members  of  the  First 
Continental  Congress,  who  pledged  themselves  to  non- 
consumption  and  non-intercourse  with  Great  Britain, 
Ireland  and  the  British  West  Indies,  and  also  denounced 
the  foreign  slave  trade,  year  1774. 

277 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Oct.  20  (1820) — Spain  ratified  a  treaty,  ceding  Florida 
to  the  United  States,  year  1820. 

Oct.  20  (1860) — Prince  of  Wales  (afterwards  King 
Edward  VII.  of  England)  sailed  home  from  Portland, 
Me.,  after  one  month  visiting  eight  principal  cities  of 
the  U.  S. 

Oct.  21  (1788) — Fourteenth  and  last  session  of  the 
Continental  Congress  adjourned  at  New  York,  year  1788. 
The  next  Congress  was  elected  under  the  new  constitu 
tion  and  met  at  New  York,  April  6,  1789. 

Oct.  21  (1879) — First  incandescent  light  produced 
by  Thomas  A.  Edison,  year  1879. 

Oct.  22  (1774)— The  First  Continental  Congress 
despatched  a  letter  to  the  colonial  assemblies  of  St. 
John's  and  Nova  Scotia,  Canada,  and  Georgia  and 
Florida,  urging  them  to  send  representatives  to  the  Con 
tinental  Congress,  year  1774.  Four  days  later  a  special 
address  was  sent  "To  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Province  of 
Quebec."  Assemblies  of  these  colonies  did  not  respond 
and  did  not  join  in  the  Revolution  (see  First  Continental 
Congress). 

Oct.  22  (1836) — Samuel  Houston  elected  first  presi 
dent  of  the  Republic  of  Texas,  year  1836.  (See  March  2.) 

Oct.  22  (1915) — First  message  by  wireless  telephone 
sent  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  year  1915.  It  was  sent 
from  the  American  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company's 
tower  at  Arlington,  Va.,  to  the  Eiffel  Tower  at  Paris, 
France. 

Oct.  23  (1819) — First  boat  on  the  Erie  Canal  made 
a  passage  from  Rome  to  Utica,  N.  Y.,  year  1819.  (See 
Oct.  26.) 

Oct.  24  (1683) — First  German  immigrants  to  Amer 
ica  began  to  lay  out  Germantown,  Pa.,  (now  a  part  of 
Philadelphia),  the  first  German  settlement  in  America, 
year  1683.  (See  Oct.  6.) 

278 


OCTOBER 

Oct.  24  (1835) — Riotous  Democratic  county  conven 
tion  held  in  Tammany  Hall,  New  York,  on  the  evening 
of  this  date,  year  1835.  A  reform  faction  got  control  of 
the  convention,  seating  their  chairman  against  the  phys 
ical  opposition  of  the  Tammany  faction.  The  latter  then 
withdrew  from  the  hall  and  turned  out  the  gas  lights, 
leaving  the  triumphant  faction  in  darkness,  whereupon 
the  reformers,  who  had  brought  with  them  a  supply  of 
candles  and  new  style  sulphur  matches  known  as  "loco 
foco"  matches,  went  on  with  the  business  of  the  conven 
tion  by  candle  light.  The  next  day,  the  Whig  news 
papers  ridiculed  the  affair  and  dubbed  the  reformers  "The 
Loco-Focos."  These  reformers  organized  the  first/'Equal 
Rights  Party,"  but  the  Whig  newspapers  sarcastically 
included  the  whole  Democratic  Party  under  the  ridicu 
lous  heading  "The  Loco-Focos"  and  the  term  spread 
throughout  the  country.  It  was  generally  used  by  the 
Whigs  to  stigmatize  the  Democratic  party  in  the  closing 
years  of  President  Jackson's  administration  and  through 
out  President  Van  Buren's  administration. 

Oct.  24  (1872) — "Epizootic,"  a  strange  disease  which 
affected  the  horses  throughout  the  country,  broke  out  in 
New  York,  year  1872. 

Oct.  25  (1888) — Publication  of  a  letter  written  by 
Lord  Sackville  West,  minister  of  Great  Britain  to  the 
United  States,  to  Charles  F.  Murchison  of  Pomona,  Cal., 
advising  the  latter  how  to  vote  in  the  presidential  elec 
tion  then  approaching,  year  1888.  Murchison  was  a  na 
turalized  Englishman.  He  had  written  to  the  minister 
asking  whether  he  ought  to  vote  for  Cleveland  or  Harri 
son.  The  minister  advised  him  to  vote  for  the  Demo 
cratic  candidate,  because,  he  said,  the  Democratic  party 
was  favorable  to  England.  Probably  through  political 
chicanery,  this  letter  was  published  and  used  in  the  cam 
paign  against  Cleveland,  the  Democratic  candidate.  It 
aroused  much  ill-feeling  throughout  the  country.  The 
administration  of  President  Cleveland,  then  in  power, 

279 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

immediately  refused  to  recognize  Lord  Sackville  West, 
and  requested  the  English  government  to  recall  him  on 
the  ground  that  he  had  interfered  in  the  political  affairs 
of  the  United  States,  a  friendly  nation.  After  the  elec 
tion,  in  which  Cleveland  was  defeated,  the  British  min 
ister  was  recalled.  It  is  now  generally  believed  that  he 
was  the  victim  of  a  trap  purposely  set  to  influence  the 
election.  This  is  the  only  instance  in  our  history  of 
known  interference  by  a  British  minister  or  ambassador 
in  the  domestic  politics  of  the  United  States. 

Oct.  26  (1825)— The  Erie  Canal  was  opened  through 
out  from  Lake  Erie  to  the  Hudson  River  with  telegraphic 
discharge  of  cannon  at  short  intervals  along  its  entire 
length,  year  1825.  The  canal  was  begun  at  Rome,  N.  Y., 
on  July  4,  1817.  The  cost  of  construction  was  $7,602,000. 

Oct.  27  (1659) — William  Robinson  and  Marmaduke 
Stevenson,  banished  from  New  Hampshire  on  the  charge 
of  being  Quakers,  were  executed  for  returning  to  the 
colony,  year  1659. 

Oct.  27  (1682) — William  Penn  first  landed  in  Amer 
ica,  at  Newcastle,  Del,  year  1682.  His  agent,  Sir  Wil 
liam  Markham,  had  arrived  before  him  in  America  on 
June  21,  1681,  and  had  selected  the  site  and  laid  out 
Philadelphia  before  the  end  of  that  year. 

Oct.  27  (1858) — Theodore  Roosevelt,  twenty-sixth 
President  of  the  United  States,  born  at  New  York,  year 
1858.  Was  nominated  by  the  Republican  Party  for  Vice- 
President  in  1900  and  elected.  On  the  death  of  President 
McKinley,  Sept.  14,  1901,  he  became  President  and  served 
the  remainder  of  the  term,  3  years,  3  months  and  13  days. 
He  was  nominated  for  President  by  the  Republicans  in 
1904  and  elected:  Electoral  vote  (45  States) — Roose 
velt,  336;  Alton  B.  Parker  (Democrat)  140.  He  served 
the  full  four  years  of  this  term,  making  a  total  of  7  years, 
3  months  and  13  days  consecutive  service  as  President. 
He  was  not  a  candidate  for  renomination  at  the  end  of 
his  second  term.  In  1912  he  was  nominated  for  Presi- 

280 


OCTOBER 

dent  by  the  Progressive  Party  (see  June  21),  was  de 
feated:  Electoral  vote  (48  States) — Wilson  (Democrat), 
435;  Roosevelt,  88;  Taft  (Republican),  8.  The  popular 
vote  in  this  election  was — Wilson,  6,293,019;  Roosevelt, 
4,119,507;  Taft,  3,484,956. 

The  chief  events  of  President  Roosevelt's  adminis 
trations  were  the  planning  and  building  of  the  Panama 
Canal  (1905-1914,  see  April  3  and  Aug.  15),  the  Treaty 
of  Portsmouth  ending  the  Russo-Japanese  War  (1905), 
the  financial  panic  of  1907,  and  the  rise  of  so-called  "Pro- 
gressivism,"  a  politico-social  movement  primarily  for  the 
betterment  of  workingmen  and  workingwomen,  and  in 
its  larger  intent  a  protest  against  reactionary  interpreta 
tions  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  in  all  ques 
tions  involving  questions  of  "property  rights"  as  against 
"human  rights." 

By  common  consent  and  impulse,  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  after  the  end  of  his  second  term  as  Presi 
dent,  entitled  him  "The  Colonel"  in  everyday  allusions 
to  him.  His  legitimate  military  title  was  "general." 

He  was  nominated  by  President  McKinley  to  be 
colonel  by  brevet  for  "gallantry  in  battle,  La  Guasima, 
Cuba,  June  24,  1898,"  and  to  be  brigadier-general  by 
brevet  "for  gallantry  in  battle,  Santiago  de  Cuba,  July  1, 
1898."  Both  ranks  were  conferred  by  the  55th  Congress. 
(See  Battle  of  San  Juan,  July  1.) 

During  the  extraordinary  excitement  of  the  political 
campaign  of  1912,  Colonel  Roosevelt  was  shot  by  an  in 
sane  assassin  named  John  Schrank,  at  Milwaukee,  Wis., 
Oct.  14.  He  recovered  and1  delivered  a  public  speech  six 
teen  days  later.  (See  Oct.  14.) 

Colonel  Roosevelt  wrote  and  published  fifteen  books, 
history,  essays,  and  narratives  of  travel,  prior  to  the  end 
of  his  second  term  as  President.  The  best  known  of 
these  are  "Winning  of  the  West"  (1889);  "History  of 
the  Naval  War  of  1812"  (1882) ;  "Ranch  Life  and  Hunt 
ing  Trail"  (1888),  and  "The  Strenuous  Life"  (1900). 

281 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Oct.  27  (1904)— First  New  York  subway  (electric 
railway)  opened  to  traffic.  The  system  was  built  by 
John  B.  McDonald,  contractor.  The  contract  was  award 
ed  on  Jan.  15,  1900  and  shortly  after  in  that  year  the 
work  was  commenced.  In  1908,  the  extensions  of  the 
original  system  were  completed,  making  a  total  of  26 
miles  of  which  about  15  miles  were  actually  underground. 
The  total  cost  of  the  original  subway  was  $50,000,000,  to 
which  was  added  $25,000,000  for  equipment.  In  May, 
1913,  contracts  were  signed  for  a  new  system,  providing 
for  45  miles  of  new  subway. 

Oct.  27  (1917)— Second  Liberty  Loan  flotation  of 
bonds  at  4  per  cent,  for  the  war  against  Germany  closed, 
year  1917;  9,500,000  persons  subscribed  $4,617,532,300. 
Bonds  were  issued  for  $3,808,766,150. 

Oct.  28  (1776)— Battle  of  White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  year 
1776.  This  engagement  between  a  part  of  Washington's 
army  numbering  1,400,  and  a  part  of  General  Howe's 
British  army  numbering  4,000,  was  fought  for  the  pos 
session  of  Chatterton  Hill  near  the  village  of  White 
Plains,  25  miles  north  of  what  is  now  Grand  Central 
Station  in  New  York.  The  British  drove  the  Americans 
from  the  hill.  The  British  loss  was  229  killed  and 
wounded.  The  Americans  lost  about  100.  It  was  but  a 
skirmish,  yet  it  had  great  effect  on  the  campaign  which 
lasted  from  Oct.  1  to  Nov.  16,  during  which  time  Howe, 
with  13,000  men,  manoeuvered  in  the  hilly  country  just 
north  of  New  York  against  Washington,  who,  with  13,000 
men,  held  strong  positions  in  those  hills  near  White 
Plains.  The  British  campaign  was  a  failure,  except  that, 
on  Nov.  16,  they  captured  Fort  Washington  (on  Wash 
ington  Heights,  now  within  the  city  of  New  York)  with 
its  garrison  of  2,500  Americans  after  a  desperate  resis 
tance  in  which  the  British  lost  850  men  and  the  Amer 
icans,  150  killed  and  wounded.  Washington  then  re 
treated  into  New  Jersey,  and  five  weeks  later  gained  the 
brilliant  victory  of  Trenton. 

282 


OCTOBER 

Oct.  28  (1886) — Bartholdi's  colossal  statue  of  "Lib 
erty  Enlightening  the  World,"  presented  by  France  to 
the  United  States  and  placed  on  Bedloe's  Island  in  New 
York  harbor,  was  unveiled,  year  1886.  The  oration  was 
delivered  by  Chauncey  M.  Depew.  The  statue  is  151  ft. 
high  and  stands  upon  a  granite  pedestal  155  ft.  high — 
a  total  height  of  306  ft. 

Oct.  29  (1701)— Charter  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia 
granted  by  William  Penn,  year  1701. 

Oct.  29  (1893) — Carter  Henry  Harrison,  mayor  of 
Chicago,  assassinated  by  a  disappointed  office  seeker, 
year  1893. 

Oct.  30  (1697)— Treaty  of  Ryswick  (Holland)  be 
tween  England  and  France,  ending  King  William's  War, 
the  first  intercolonial  war  in  America,  year  1697.  The 
war  was  begun  in  1690,  because  James  II.  of  England  was 
deposed  and  Wrilliam  of  Orange  was  made  joint  sovereign 
with  his  wife,  Mary.  The  king  of  France  took  up  the 
cause  of  the  deposed  King  James.  The  chief  military 
event  of  the  war  in  America  was  the  English  expedition 
of  2,000  men  from  Massachusetts,  led  by  Sir  William 
Phipps  against  Quebec.  It  returned  without  attacking 
the  fortress.  In  this  wrar  the  Indians,  who  were  on  the 
side  of  the  French,  committed  many  bloody  outrages  up 
on  the  English  colonists  of  New  York  and  New  England. 
The  war  was  the  cause  of  the  first  Congress  of  colonial 
representatives  in  America,  which  met  in  1690.  (See 
March  19.) 

Oct.  30  (1735) — John  Adams,  second  President  of 
the  United  States,  born  at  Quincy,  Mass.,  year  1735 ;  died 
at  Quincy,  July  4,  1826 — on  the  same  day  that  Thomas 
Jefferson  died.  He  was  a  leader  of  the  movement  for 
American  independence,  though  not  a  radical  as  was  his 
relative  Samuel  Adams,  the  earliest  chief  leader.  He 
graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1755,  studied  law,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  of  Massachusetts  in  1758,  and  became 
the  leading  lawyer  of  the  Colonies  before  Independence. 

283 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

He  achieved  his  first  national  prominence  through  ar 
ticles  written  in  opposition  to  the  Stamp  Act  in  1765  and 
published  in  the  Boston  Gazette.  In  the  First  and  Second 
Continental  congresses  he  was  a  leader  and  was  one  of  the 
committee  appointed  to  draft  the  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence.  In  1783  he  was  one  of  the  commissioners  who 
signed  the  Treaty  of  Paris  ending  the  Revolutionary  War. 
He  was  sent,  in  1785,  as  the  first  Minister  to  England.  In 
1789  he  was  elected  Vice-President,  Washington  being 
elected  President.  Washington  having  declined  a  third 
term,  Adams  was  nominated  by  the  largest  group  of  his 
party,  the  Federalists,  in  1796,  for  President.  The  elec 
toral  vote  was  (16  States)  :  Adams,  71 ;  Jefferson  (Demo 
cratic-Republican),  68;  Thomas  Pinckney  (Federalist), 
59;  Aaron  Burr  (Republican),  30;  Samuel  Adams  (Re 
publican),  15;  Oliver  Ellsworth  (Independent),  11; 
George  Clinton  (Republican),  7;  John  Jay  (Federalist), 
5;  James  Iredell  (Federalist),  3;  George  Washington,  S. 
Johnson  and  John  Henry  (all  Federalists),  2  each; 
Charles  C.  Pinckney  (Federalist),  1.  John  Adams  was 
elected  President  and  Thomas  Jefferson  Vice-President. 
He  was  inaugurated  March  4,  1797  and  served  four  years. 
During  almost  the  entire  period  of  his  administration  the 
nation  was  on  the  verge  of  war  with  France,  which  coun 
try  was  then  governed  by  the  Executive  Directory  that 
followed  the  "Reign  of  Terror"  (1793-1794)  and  was  suc 
ceeded  by  the  consulate  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  Though 
there  was  no  formal  declaration  of  war,  hostilities  did  ac 
tually  commence  and  one  important  naval  battle  was 
fought  (see  Feb.  9  concerning  the  Constellation  and  In- 
surgente).  The  difficulties  were  terminated  by  a  treaty 
at  Paris  on  Sept.  30,  1800.  A  powerful  section  of  Adam's 
own  party,  led  by  Alexander  Hamilton,  was  for  an  open 
break  and  war  with  France.  Adams  steadily  adhered  to 
a  policy  of  conciliation,  while  advocating  military  pre 
paredness,  and  this  policy  he  carried  out  to  the  eventual 
peace  treaty.  But  his  conduct  of  the  affair  made  him  un- 

284 


OCTOBER 

popular  with  his  party  which  was  dominated  by  Hamil 
ton,  and  also  the  Alien  and  Sedition  Acts  (1798)  alienated 
other  elements  of  the  voting  population,  and  so  he  was 
defeated  for  reelection  to  the  Presidency. 

Oct.  31  (1765) — Sons  of  Liberty  organized,  in  a  small 
room  of  a  distillery  in  Hanover  Square,  Boston,  year 
1765.  This  was  the  most  famous  secret  patriotic  society 
in  American  history.  In  the  beginning,  its  prime  purpose 
was  to  oppose  the  enforcement  of  the  Stamp  Act  passed 
by  the  English  parliament.  The  title  of  the  society  was  a 
quotation  from  the  speech  of  Col.  Isaac  Barre  in  Parlia 
ment,  on  Feb.  6,  1765,  when,  replying  to  Charles  Towns- 
hend  on  behalf  of  the  American  colonists,  he  denounced 
the  English  government  for  sending  to  America  as  gov 
ernment  officials  "men  whose  behavior  on  many  oc 
casions  had  caused  the  blood  of  those  sons  of  Lib 
erty  to  recoil  within  them."  The  organizers  were 
mostly  young  men,  fiery  and  adventurous.  Paul  Revere 
was  one  of  them  and  later,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Revolution,  became  their  leader.  Doubtless,  the  pseudo- 
Indians  who  threw  the  tea  into  Boston  Harbor  (see 
Boston  Tea  Party)  were  selected  members  of  the  society. 
John  Adams  writes  in  his  diary:  "Jan.  15,  1766.  Spent 
the  evening  with  the  Sons  of  Liberty  at  their  own 
apartment  in  Hanover  Square,  near  the  Tree  of  Liberty. 
It  is  a  counting  room,  in  Chase  &  Speakman's  distillery;  a 
very  small  room  it  is.  There  were  present  John  Avery, 
a  distiller  of  liberal  education;  John  Smith  the  brazier; 
Thomas  Chase,  distiller;  Joseph  Fields,  master  of  a  ves 
sel;  Henry  Bass;  George  Trott,  jeweller;  and  Henry 
Willes.  I  was  very  cordially  and  respectfully  treated  by 
all  present.  We  had  punch,  wine,  and  pipes  and  tobacco, 
biscuit  and  cheese.  They  chose  a  committee  to  make 
preparations  for  grand  rejoicings  upon  the  arrival  of  the 
news  of  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act." 

Oct.  31  (1873) —  American  steamship  Virginius, 
which  had  sailed  from  Port-au-Prince,  Haiti,  in  command 

285 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

of  Captain  Joseph  Fry,  an  ex-United  States  naval  officer, 
and  a  crew  of  149  men,  laden  with  war  supplies  for  the 
insurgents  of  Cuba  who  were  waging  a  war  of  rebellion 
against  Spain,  was  captured  by  a  Spanish  warship  in  the 
Carribean  Sea,  year  1873.  Captain  Fry  and  his  crew  were 
taken  to  .Santiago  de  Cuba,  tried  by  court  martial  and  con 
demned  to  death.  On  Nov.  6,  Captain  Fry  and  52  of  his 
men  were  shot.  The  lives  of  93  others  were  saved  by  the 
captain  of  the  British  warship  Niobc  who  arrived  in  the 
nick  of  time  to  interfere.  Of  those  who  were  executed, 
30  were  Americans  and  6  were  British  subjects.  The  ship 
was  surrendered  to  the  United  States  Government  and  in 
December  sailed  for  New  York.  Off  Cape  Fear  she 
sprang  a  leak  and  sank ;  her  new  crew  were  saved.  The 
incident  is  known  in  history  as  the  "Virginius  Affair."  It 
aroused  intense  excitement  in  the  United  'States  and 
many  prominent  hot  heads  demanded  war  with  Spain. 
The  matter  was  settled  by  diplomacy.  Spain  had  a  tech 
nical  justification  for  the  acts  of  her  officers.  Neverthe 
less,  the  Spanish  government  surrendered  the  ship,  and 
offered  reparation.  This  was  accepted  as  an  apology  and 
the  matter  was  dropped. 

Oct.    31     (1864) — Nevada    was    admitted    into    the 
Union,  vear  1864. 


286 


NOVEMBER      l< 

f-i-uJj^ftU      H 

November  1  (1765) — Stamp  Act  passed  by  the  Eng 
lish  parliament  as  a  form  of  taxation  of  the  English  col 
onies  in  America,  went  into  force,  year  1765.  (See  Boston 
Tea  Party,  Dec.  16,  and  March  22.) 

Nov.  2  (1795) — James  K.  Polk,  eleventh  President  of 
the  United  States,  born  in  Mecklenburg  County,  N.  C., 
year  1795;  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  June  15,  1849.  Nomi 
nated  for  President  by  the  Democratic  party  in  1844  and 
elected.  Electoral  vote — (26  States):  Polk,  170;  Henry 
Clay  (Whig),  105.  Inaugurated  on  March  4,  1845.  Served 
four  years.  During  his  administration  the  Mexican  War 
was  waged. 

Nov.  2  (1880) — State  of  Kansas  voted  on  and  adopted 
an  amendment  to  the  State  Constitution,  as  follows :  "The 
manufacture  and  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  shall  be  for 
ever  prohibited  in  the  State,  except  for  medical,  scien 
tific  and  mechanical  purposes."  The  vote  on  this  amend 
ment  \vas  92,302  for,  and  84,304  against. 

Nov.  2  (1889)— North  Dakota  and  South  Dakota  ad 
mitted  into  the  Union,  year  1889. 

Nov.  3  (1783) — The  Continental  Army  of  the  Ameri 
can  Revolution  was  disbanded,  all  except  a  small  force 
under  General  Knox  \vhich  remained  at  West  Point,  year 
1783.  The  West  Point  detachment  was  discharged  when 
the  British  evacuated  New  York,  on  Nov.  25,  1783.  The 
following  are  the  quotas  of  men  furnished  by  the  thir 
teen  States  during  the  war,  from  April  19,  1775,  to  Nov- 
3,  1783: 

New   Hampshire    12,947 

Massachusetts 67,907 

Rhode  Island 5,908 

Connecticut   31,939 

New  York 17,781 

287 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

New  Jersey    10,726 

Pennsylvania    25,678 

Delaware   2,386 

Maryland   13,912 

Virginia   26,678 

North  Carolina 7,263 

South  Carolina 6,417 

Georgia    2,679 


Total 232,221 

Nov.  3  (1794) — William  Cullen  Bryant,  poet  and 
editor,  born  at  Cummington,  Mass.,  year  1794;  died  at 
New  York,  June  12,  1878.  His  poem  "Thanatopsis"  is 
regarded  by  many  cultured  people  as  the  greatest  short 
poem  ever  produced  by  any  American  poet.  He  became 
the  editor  and  part  owner  of  the  New  York  Evening  Post 
in  1829,  and  remained  its  editorial  chief  for  fifty  years, 
until  his  death. 

Nov.  4  (1862)— The  Catling  Gun,  the  first  rapid  fire 
machine  gun  in  modern  ballistics,  patented  by  Richard 
Jordan  Catling,  year  1862.  Notwithstanding  the  tremen 
dous  power  of  this  gun  in  battle,  it  was  very  little  used  in 
the  Civil  War.  At  that  time,  the  war  department  of  the 
U.  S.  Government  was  extremely  conservative  and  rarely 
adopted  a -new  idea,  and  so  the  soldiers  were  armed  with 
old  fashioned  muzzle-loading  rifles  and  the  cannon  were 
of  the  old  fashinoned  muzzle-loading  sort. 

Nov.  5  (1892)— The  "Geary  Act"  prohibiting  the  im 
migration  of  Chinese  to  the  United  States,  became  a  law, 
year  1892.  The  agitation  against  Chinese  had  begun  in 
California  before  1860.  In  1879,  Congress  passed  the 
first  Chinese  restriction  act.  In  1882,  1884  and  1888  other 
laws  were  passed  further  limiting  immigration.  The 
Geary  Act,  named  from  Congressman  Geary  of  Cali 
fornia,  was  the  most  drastic  of  all. 

Nov.  5  (1912) — Woman  suffrage  was  adopted  at  gen- 
288 


NOVEMBER 

eral  elections  in  the  States  of  Kansas,  Oregon  and  Ari 
zona,  year  1912. 

Nov.  6  (1793)— First  of  the  British  "Orders  in  Coun 
cil"  during  the  French  Directorate  and  Napoleonic  wars, 
against  the  commerce  of  neutral  nations  with  France, 
year  1793.  British  ships  of  war  were  ordered  to  stop  all 
ships  laden  with  supplies  for  France  or  French  colonies, 
and  bring  them  into  a  British  port  for  trial  before  a 
British  admiralty  court.  (See  May  9.)  Between  the  ar 
bitrary  acts  of  the  French  and  British  governments, 
American  foreign  commerce,  for  a  time,  was  nearly  de 
stroyed.  (See  March  26.) 

Nov.  6  (1873) — Captain  Fry  and  52  men  of  thejcrew 
of  the  Vlrginius  were  executed  by  shooting  at  Santiago, 
Cuba,  year  1873.  (See  Oct.  31.) 

Nov.  6  (1903) — Republic  of  Panama  recognized  as 
an  independent  power  by  the  U.  S.  Government,  year 
1903. 

Nov.  6  (1917) — New  York  State,  at  a  general  elec 
tion,  adopted  woman  suffrage  by  a  vote  of  646,000  to 
555,000.  On  the  same  day,  Ohio  rejected  a  woman's  suf 
frage  amendment  to  its  constitution  by  a  majority  of 
136,000,  year  1917. 

Nov.  7  (1805) — The  Lewis  and  Clark  exploring  ex 
pedition  reached  the  Pacific  Ocean  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia  River,  year  1805.  The  expedition  was  sent  out 
by  the  government  in  President  Jefferson's  administra 
tion  to  explore  the  continent  west  to  the  Pacific.  The 
party  consisted  of  Capt.  Meriwether  Lewis,  Lieut.  Wil 
liam  Clark  and  thirty-four  other  men.  They  left  Wash 
ington  on  July  5,  1803  and  followed  a  route  leading  to 
St.  Louis,  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Missouri,  to  the  head 
waters  of  the  Columbia  and  down  that  stream  to  the 
Pacific.  The  route  travelled  was  over  4,000  miles. 

Nov.  7  (1811)— Battle  of  Tippecanoe,  Ind.,  year  1811. 
Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison  (American,  1,200  men)  vs. 
an  army  of  Indians  of  the  Indian  confederacy  organized 

•28% 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

by  Tecumseh  and  his  brother  "The  Prophet."  The 
Prophet  commanded  in  this  battle.  It  resulted  in  a  com 
plete  victory  for  the  whites. 

Nov.  7  (1837) — Elijah  P.  Love  joy,  editor  and  printer 
of  an  anti-slavery  newspaper  at  Alton,  111.,  was  shot  while 
defending  his  printing  press  against  a  pro-slavery  mob, 
year  1837.  He  was  the  first  so-called  martyr  to  the 
"abolition"  cause. 

Nov.  8  (1861)— The  Trent  affair,  year  1861.  James 
M.  Mason  of  Virginia,  Minister  of  the  Confederate  States 
of  America  to  Great  Britain,  and  John  Slidell  of  Lou 
isiana,  the  Confederate  Minister  to  France,  embarked  on 
the  British  mail  steamship  Trent  at  Havana,  bound  for 
England.  A  United  States  warship,  the  San  Jacinto,  com 
manded  by  Captain  Charles  Wilkes,  had  been  sent  to  the 
West  Indies  to  stop,  if  possible,  the  sailing  of  these  two 
Confederate  envoys.  The  Trent  sailed,  with  Mason  and 
Slidell  on  board,  on  Nov.  7.  Next  day,  in  the  Bahama 
Channel,  240  miles  from  Havana,  the  San  Jacinto  sig 
nalled  to  stop  the  British  ship.  The  latter  ignored  the 
signals  and  the  San  Jacinto  fired  a  shot  across  her  bow, 
whereupon  the  Trent  stopped,  and  Captain  Wilkes  de 
manded  that  the  two  Confederates  be  given  up  as  pris 
oners  of  war.  The  British  captain  complied,  but  formally 
protested,  saying  the  proceeding  was  contrary  to  inter 
national  law.  Mason  and  Slidell  were  taken  to  Boston. 
Captain  Wilkes  became  a  popular  hero  in  the  North,  and 
was  thanked  by  Congress.  However,  an  anti-climax  fol 
lowed.  The  British  government  demanded  a  formal  apol 
ogy  and  the  release  of  the  prisoners.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
the  United  States  had  obviously  blundered.  They  had 
done  the  very  thing  which*  they  had  formerly  charged 
against  Great  Britain  and  which  was  a  prime  cause  of  the 
War  of  1812.  So,  after  some  diplomatic  exchanges,  the 
United  States  formally  acknowledged  that  the  seizure  of 
the  two  Confederates  was  illegal,  and  they  were  released. 
They  sailed  for  England,  unobstructed,  on  Jan.  1,  1862. 

290. 


NOVEMBER 

Nov.  8  (1889) — Montana  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1889. 

Nov.  9  (1872) — Great  fire  in  Boston,  year  1872.  Over 
800  buildings  were  destroyed.  The  loss  was  $80,000,000. 

Nov.  9  (1889) — Beginning  of  the  free  delivery  of  mail 
in  all  cities  and  towns  of  5,000  or  more  inhabitants,  year 
1889. 

Nov.  10  (1635)— Saybrook,  the  first  English  settle 
ment  in  Connecticut,  founded  by  colonists  from  Massa 
chusetts,  year  1635. 

Nov.  11  (1620) — Cape  Cod  "Compact"  signed  on 
board  the  Mayflower  lying  in  the  harbor  of  Provincetown, 
year  1620.  (See  Forefather's  Day,  Dec.  22.) 

Nov.  11  (1778)— Cherry  Valley  (N.  Y.)  massacre, 
year  1778.  Immediately  after  the  massacre  at  Wyo 
ming  (see  July  3),  a  regiment  of  Continental  troops  of 
Pennsylvania  swiftly  moved  against  the  Indians  and 
Loyalists  who  had  perpetrated  the  crime  at  Wyoming, 
and  destroyed  the  Indian  village  of  Unadilla  at  the  head 
waters  of  the  Susquehanna  in  New  York.  In  revenge  for 
this,  the  Indians  and  Loyalists  under  Brant  and  Butler 
attacked  the  pioneer  village  of  Cherry  Valley  during  a 
sleet  storm  on  Nov.  11,  murdered  thirty-two,  mostly 
women  and  children,  and  led  away  as  captives  forty  others 
half  naked  through  the  darkness  and  the  cold. 

Nov.  11  (1887) — Four  of  the  Chicago  anarchists  im 
plicated  in  the  Haymarket  massacre  at  Chicago  were 
hanged,  year  1887.  (See  May  4.) 

Nov.  11  (1889) — Washington  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1889. 

Nov.  12  (1775) — Montreal  surrendered  to  the  Ameri 
can  army  under  Gen.  Richard  Montgomery,  year  1775. 
This  small  army  of  1,000  Americans,  increased  by  a  small 
number  of  Canadians  who  had  joined  the  Revolution,  in 
vaded  Canada  in  September,  1775,  and  laid  siege  to  the 
defenses  of  Chambly  on  the  east  side  of  the  River  oppo 
site  Montreal  and  to  St.  John's,  a  fort  thirty  miles  to  the 

291 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

southeast.  Chambly  surrendered  on  Oct.  18,  and  St. 
John's  on  Nov.  3 — the  latter  after  a  siege  of  fifty  days. 
Then  Montreal  was  evacuated  by  the  British,  who  re 
treated  down  the  river  to  Quebec.  (See  Dec.  31.) 

Nov.  12  (1823)— "Home,  Sweet  Home"  first  sung  be 
fore  the  public,  year  1823.  The  occasion  was  the  New 
York  production  of  the  opera,  or  musical  melodrama, 
Clari,  the  Maid  of  Milan,"  the  libretto  of  which  was 
written  by  John  Howard  Payne;  the  famous  song  is  the 
chief  feature  of  this  opera.  The  music  was  written  by 
Sir  Henry  Rowley  Bishop,  an  English  composer. 

Nov.  13  (1833) — Edwin  Booth,  tragedian,  born  at  Bel 
Air,  Md.,  year  1833;  died  at  New  York  on  June  7,  1893. 
Generally  regarded  as  the  greatest  American  actor.  He 
won  lasting  fame  chiefly  by  his  impersonations  of  "Ham 
let"  and  "Richelieu." 

Nov.  14  (1840) — Treaty  of  commerce  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  Republic  of  Texas  signed,  year  1840.  The 
Texans  had  gained  their  independence  from  Mexico  in 
1836.  (See  April  21.) 

Nov.  15  (1763) — Mason  and  Dixon  arrived  at  Phila 
delphia  from  England  to  survey  the  boundary  between 
Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  year  1763.  Charles  Mason 
and  Jeremiah  Dixon  were  noted  astronomers  of  London. 
At  that  time  there  was  a  long  standing  dispute  between 
the  heirs  of  William  Penn  and  Lord  Baltimore  over  the 
boundary  line  dividing  the  Colonies  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Maryland.  The  contestants  agreed  to  let  Mason  and 
Dixon  survey  and  mark  the  line  for  a  distance  of  260 
miles.  They  began  at  the  eastern  end  and  followed  west- 
ertly  the  parallel  of  latitude  39°  43'  26.3"  N.  They  placed 
a  stone  at  the  end  of  every  fifth  mile;  the  stones  were 
brought  from  England,  where  they  had  been  hewn  and 
marked  with  the  coat  of  arms  of  William  Penn  on  one 
side  and  those  of  Lord  Baltimore  on  the  other.  At  the 
end  of  each  intermediate  mile  was  placed  a  stone  marked 
P  on  one  side  and  M  on  the  other.  During  four  years  the 

292 


NOVEMBER 

astronomers  worked  and  then,  after  completing  the  mark 
ing  of  224  miles,  mostly  through  wilderness,  in  Nov.  1767 
they  were  stopped  by  the  hostility  of  Indians.  They  re 
turned  to  England  in  1768.  Mason  came  back  to  America 
and  died  in  Philadelphia  in  1787.  The  survey  of  the  last 
36  miles  was  completed  by  Col.  Alexander  McLean  of 
Philadelphia  in  1782.  By  common  consent,  Mason  and 
Dixon's  line  was  accepted  by  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  until  the  Civil  War,  as  the  boundary  between  slave 
and  free  territory  in  the  original  thirteen  States.  In  the 
early  disputes  over  the  admission  of  States  west  of  the 
Allegheny  mountains,  the  Southern  leaders  insisted  on 
extending  westward  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line,  as  the 
northern  boundary  of  slave  territory.  The  Northern 
leaders  opposed  this  and  finally  the  parallel  36°  30'  was 
made  the  dividing  line ;  this  line  is  the  southern  boundary 
of  Kansas,  Colorado,  and  Utah.  (See  Missouri  Compro 
mise,  March  2.) 

Nov.  15  (1777) — Articles  of  Confederation  of  the 
United  States,  the  first  written  constitution  of  the  nation, 
adopted  by  the  Continental  Congress,  year  1777.  A  cir 
cular  was  immediately  sent  to  each  of  the  thirteen  States, 
urging  them  to  ratify  this  constitution.  They  did  so,  dur 
ing  the  next  year,  all  except  Delaware  and  Maryland. 
Delaware  ratified  in  1779.  Maryland  held  out  until  March 
1,  1781.  The  Articles  of  Confederation  stood  as  the  fun 
damental  written  law  of  the  country  until  1789,  when  it 
was  superseded  by  the  present  Constitution. 

Nov.  15  (1806) — Pike's  Peak  discovered  by  Zebulon 
Montgomery  Pike,  year  1806.  Lieut.  Pike,  of  the  U.  S. 
Army,  was  appointed  in  1806  to  conduct  exploring  ex 
peditions  to  the  country  of  the  Arkansas  and  Red  rivers 
in  the  newly  acquired  territory  of  Louisiana.  After 
reaching  the  peak  which  bears  his  name,  with  twenty-two 
men  he  pushed  on  southwest  and  reached  the  Rio  Grande 
River,  at  what  is  now  the  northern  boundary  of  New 
Mexico,  in  February  1807.  He  mistook  the  Rio  Grande 

293 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

(or  Rio  del  Norte)  for  the  Red  River  and  did  not  know 
he  was  in  Spanish  territory.  He  and  his  party  were  ar 
rested  by  a  force  of  100  Spanish  soldiers  and  taken  to 
Santa  Fe.  The  Spaniards  suspected  that  the  United 
States  had  designs  on  their  territory.  But,  after  a  long 
examination,  Pike  proved  his  innocence  and  was  released, 
in  July,  1807.  In  1810  he  published  an  account  of  his  ex 
pedition  which  aroused  great  enthusiasm  among  many 
thousands  of  adventurous  pioneers,  and  'Tike's  Peak"  be 
came  a  common  expression  in  every  family  of  the  land. 

Nov.  16  (1776)— Capture  of  Fort  Washington,  N.  Y., 
by  the  British,  year  1776.  (See  Oct.  28.) 

Nov.  16  (1864) — Sherman's.  March  through  Georgia, 
began,  year  1864.  Gen.  W.  T.  Sherman's  combined  force 
of  three  Union  armies  had  captured  Atlanta.  It  was 
planned  by  Grant,  Lincoln  and  Sherman  to  send  a  Union 
army  across  the  State  of  Georgia  to  Savannah,  splitting 
the  Confederacy  and  destroying  the  great  source  of  sup 
plies  of  the  Confederate  armies.  A  Confederate  army  un 
der  General  Hood  was  north  of  Atlanta.  General  Thomas 
with  his  Union  army  was  left  to  deal  with  this  force. 
Nicolay  and  Hay,  in  "Abraham  Lincoln,"  wrote :  "Pre 
cisely  at  seven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  16th  of  No 
vember  the  great  army  [60,000  Union  veterans]  started 
on  its  march  from  Atlanta.  A  band  struck  up  the  anthem, 
'John  Brown's  body  lies  a-moldering  in  the  grave' ;  the 
soldiers  caught  up  the  refrain,  and,  to  the  swelling  chorus 
of  'Glory  Hallelujah/  the  great  march  was  begun.  The 
month  that  followed  will  always  remain  to  those  sixty 
thousand  men  the  most  romantic  and  inspiring  memory 
of  their  lives." 

The  army  "marched  in  four  divisions,  taking  four  par 
allel  routes,  each  division  of  about  15,000  men.  They 
marched  15  miles  each  day.  They  lived  on  the  country 
through  which  they  passed,  taking  food  wherever  they 
found  it,  often  by  force.  They  met  with  very  little  armed 
opposition.  They  denuded  a  zone  sixty  miles  wide 

294 


NOVEMBER 

through  the  entire  State.  Thousands  of  negroes  left  the 
plantations  and  followed.  Railroads,  machine  shops, 
clothing  factories,  and  all  instruments  for  making  war 
material  were  destroyed.  Though  there  was  little  blood 
shed  during  the  whole  of  this  extraordinary  military 
movement,  it  was  impossible  to  restrain  all  of  the  soldiers 
from  deeds  of  ruthlessness,  and  so  it  was  that  great 
misery  was  inflicted  on  many  thousands  of  the  people  of 
Georgia.  Because  of  this,  the  most  intense  bitterness  of 
the  whole  war  was  aroused  against  Sherman  and  his  men 
among  the  Southern  people — a  bitterness  which  has  out 
lasted  all  the  memories  of  other  campaigns  and  conflicts 
of  the  great  struggle.  Yet,  in  the  opinion  of  military 
authorities  and  statesmen  of  Europe,  the  great  march  was 
a  military  necessity,  consummated  with  a  minimum  of 
suffering  to  the  non-combatant  inhabitants  of  Georgia, 
and  far  less  cruel  in  its  course  than  any  of  the  great  in 
vasions  of  history,  ancient  or  modern.  On  Dec.  21,  1864, 
General  Sherman  and  his  staff  rode  into  the  city  of  Sa 
vannah,  which  had  been  evacuated  by  the  Confederates, 
and  thus  the  March  to  the  Sea  was  successfully  accom 
plished. 

Nov.  16  (1907) — Oklahoma  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1907. 

Nov.  17  (1800) — Congress  met  the  first  time  in  the 
newly  erected  Capitol  at  Washington,  year  1800.  It  was 
the  second  session  of  the  Seventh  Congress.  Nathaniel 
Macdn  of  South  Carolina  was  speaker  of  the  House. 

Nov.   18   (1883) — The  national   system  of  Standard 

Time  was  inaugurated,  year  1883. 
*»*> 

Nov.  18  (1905)— Treaty  with  the  Republic  of  Pan 
ama  relating  to  the  construction  and  maintenance  of  the 
Panama  Canal  was  signed  at  Washington,  year  1905. 
The  signers  were  John  Hay  for  the  United  States  and 
P.  Bunau  Varilla  for  the -Republic  of  Panama.  The  first 
article  reads :  "The  United  States  guarantees  and  will 
maintain  the  independence  of  the  Republic  of  Panama." 

295 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

The  principal  article  (Article  II)  provides  that  the  Re 
public  of  Panama  grants  to  the  United  States  "in  per 
petuity,  the  use,  occupation  and  control  of  a  zone  of  land, 
and  land  under  water  for  the  construction,  maintenance, 
operation  and  sanitation  and- protection  of  said  Canal 
of  the  width  of  ten  miles,  extending  to  the  distance  of  ten 
miles  on  each  side  of  the  center  route  of  the  canal  to  be 
constructed/'  The  U.  S.  agreed  to  pay  the  sum  of 
$10,000,000  for  this  grant  and  other  privileges,  and  also 
an  annual  payment  of  $250,000,  beginning  with  the  year 
1912. 

Nov.  19  (1831)— James  A.  Garfield,  twentieth  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  born  at  Orange,  Cuyahoga 
County,  O.,  year  1831 ;  died  at  Elberon,  N.  J.,  Sept.  19, 
1881.  Nominated  for  President  by  the  Republican  party 
in  1880  and  elected.  Electoral  vote  (38  States)  :  Garfield, 
369;  Winfield  S.  Hancock  (Democratic),  155.  Inaugu 
rated  March  4,  1881.  Served  six  months  and  fifteen  days 
until  his  death  (see  July  2).  During  the  short  period  of 
his  active  administration  (4  months  and  28  days),  the 
chief  events  were  the  publication  of  the  Revised  New 
Testament  (May  20),  the  completion  of  the  Brooklyn 
Bridge  (May  24)  and  the  declaration  made  (June  24, 
1881)  to  European  governments  that  any  movement  by 
them  to  jointly  guarantee  the  neutrality  of  the  Panama 
Canal  would  be  regarded  as  unwarrantable  interference 
by  the  United  States.  (See  July  2.) 

Nov.  19  (1832) — Nullification  Convention  met  at  Co 
lumbia,  S.  C,  year  1832.  It  was  composed  of  delegates 
from  the  legislative  districts  of  South  Carolina,  to  con 
sider  the  tariff  acts  passed  by  Congress  at  Washington. 
As  a  result  of  this  convention,  the  legislature  of  South 
Carolina  passed  what  is  known  as  the  Nullification  Or 
dinance,  declaring  the  tariff  acts  of  Congress  null  and 
void,  tfnd  pledging  that  the  people  of  South  Carolina 
would  secede  from  the  Union  and  organize  a  separate 
government  if  the  Federal  Government  attempted  to  en- 

296 


NOVEMBER 
force  the  tariff  acts  in  that  State.    This  was  the  first  ex- 

% 

treme  practical  application  of  the  doctrine  of  State 
sovereignty.  Nevertheless,  President  Jackson  did  en 
force  the  Congress  law,  and  sent  troops  to  Charleston  and 
Augusta  to  protect  the  U.  S.  officials.  Civil  War  was 
imminent.  Then  Henry  Clay,  in  Congress,  offered  a  com 
promise  bill,  which  provided  for  a  gradual  reduction  of 
the  obnoxiouk  duties,  and  the  crisis  passed  without  blood 
shed.  (See  Birthday  of  Andrew  Jackson,  March  15.) 

LINCOLN'S  ADDRESS  AT  GETTYSBURG 

November  19,  1863 

The  Battle  of  Gettysburg  ended  at  sunset  on  July  3, 
1863.  That  night  and  next  day  the  Confederate  army 
spent  in  preparation  for  retreat  back  to  Virginia.  They 
hurriedly  buried  their  dead  and  cared  for  their  wounded 
so  far  as  they  could.  On  the  morning  of  July  5,  Lee's 
army  marched  away  from  that  battle  field,  where  2,600 
Confederate  soldiers  died.  Then  it  was  that  Gov.  An 
drew  G.  Curtin  of  Pennsylvania  ordered  the  State  mili 
tary  authorities  at  and  near  Gettysburg  to  assume  the 
duty  of  interring  the  dead  left  unburied  by  both  armies, 
and  of  caring  for  the  wounded,  Union  men  and  Confed 
erates — approximating  20,000  in  number  left  at  Gettys 
burg. 

The  foremost  citizen  of  the  town  of  Gettysburg  was 
David  Wills  and  he  was  appointed  the  special  agent  of 
the  Governor  and  at  once  assumed  command.  He  quickly 
found  that  in  the  haste  of  wholesale  burial  of  the  dead  by 
the  armies,  many  bodies  had  been  but  partially  covered, 
many  graves  were  unmarked,  and  many  of  the  markings 
on  the  small  headboards  had  been  already  obliterated  by 
the  rain  storm  which  had  come  immediately  after  the 
battle.  There  came  to  him  the  project  of  bringing  to 
gether,  in  a  national  cemetery,  the  remains  of  the  soldier 
dead  now  scattered  throughout  all  the  great  battlefield. 

The  idea  appealed  deeply  to  the  governors  of  the 
States  whose  soldiers  had  taken  part  in  the  battle.  There 

297 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

were  seventeen  of  these  States,  Northern  States,  and  their 
governors  agreed  to  cooperate  in  the  plan  of  Mr.  Wills. 
The  State  of  Pennsylvania  purchased  a  plot  of  seventeen 
acres  embracing  the  highest  point  of  Cemetery  Hill  and 
overlooking  the  entire  battlefield.  The  cemetery  grounds 
were  laid  out  and  the  work  of  ordering  the  landscape  was 
rapidly  pushed  during  the  months  of  August,  September 
and  October  of  that  year.  The  commission  in  charge  of 
the  work  planned  a  ceremony  of  dedication,  which  was  to 
take  place  on  Nov.  19,  when  the  cemetery  would  be  com 
pleted.  The  chief  feature  of  this  dedication  ceremony 
was  to  be  an  oration  to  be  delivered  by  Edward  Everett, 
one  of  the  foremost  scholars  and  orators  of  America,  who 
had  been  U.  S.  Senator  from  Massachusetts  and  had  held 
other  high  places  in  government.  Incidentally,  President 
Lincoln  was  invited  to  be  present.  The  letter  of  invita 
tion  to  Mr.  Lincoln  contained  this  sentence :  "It  is  the 
desire  that  after  the  oration,  you,  as  Chief  Executive  of 
the  nation,  formally  set  apart  these  grounds  to  their 
sacred  use  by  a  few  appropriate  remarks."  It  is  plain 
that  Mr.  Lincoln  was  not  expected  to  say  anything  of 
much  importance,  but  only  to  be  present  in  his  official 
capacity,  and  thus  give  appropriate  eclat  to  the  dedication. 
The  "few  appropriate  remarks"  which  he  was  invited  to 
deliver  were  such,  no  doubt,  as  the  senders  of  the  invita 
tion  had  heard  many  times  from  the  lips  of  conventional 
officials  of  all  kinds  who  formally  spoke,  in  routine  man 
ner,  the  final  words  at  routine  dedications.  The  point  is 
that  the  commission  did  not  expect,  and  probably  did  not 
want  Lincoln  the  man,  nor  the  Lincoln  mind  to  express 
anything  unusual,  but  only  Lincoln  the  President  who 
would  bring  his  staff  and  give  the.  prestige  of  the  Presi 
dential  office.  It  was  assumed  that  the  official  orator, 
Senator  Everett,  would  say  all  that  any  mortal  man  could 
be  expected  to  say.  No  one,  seemingly,  believed  that 
there  would  be  anything  left  for  Lincoln  to  say  after 
Senator  Everett  finished. 

John    G.    Nicolay,    Mr.    Lincoln's   private   secretary, 
298 


NOVEMBER 

gives  the  most  authoritative  account  of  the  preparation 
of  Mr.  Lincoln's  address.  He  wrote  (in  an  article  pub 
lished  in  the  Century  Magazine,  issue  of  February,  1894)  : 

"Mr.  Lincoln  had  a  little  more  than  two  weeks  in 
which  to  prepare  the  remarks  he  might  intend  to  make. 
It  was  a  time  when  he  was  extremely  busy,  not  alone  with 
complicated  military  affairs  in  the  various  armies,  but 
also  with  considerations  of  his  annual  message  to  Con 
gress,  which  was  to  meet  early  in  December.  There  was 
even  great  uncertainty  whether  he  could  take  enough  time 
from  his  pressing  official  duties  to  go  to  Gettysburg  at 
all.  Up  to  the  17th  of  November,  only  two  days  before 
the  ceremonies,  no  definite  arrangements  for  the  journey 
had  been  made."  Further  on,  Mr.  Nicolay  continued: 

"There  is  no  definite  record  of  when  Mr.  Lincoln 
wrote  the  first  sentence  of  his  proposed  address.  He 
probably  followed  his  usual  habit  in  such  matters,  using 
great  deliberation  in  arranging  his  thoughts,  and  molding 
his  phrases  mentally,  waiting  to  reduce  them  to  writing 
until  they  had  taken  satisfactory  form." 

At  noon  on  Nov.  18,  a  special  train  left  Washington 
for  Gettysburg,  bearing  President  Lincoln,  four  members 
of  his  cabinet,  the  French  and  Italian  Ministers  and  sev 
eral  other  foreign  attaches,  his  secretary,  Colonel  Nicolay, 
and  the  assistant  secretary,  Col.  John  Hay.  The  story 
has  been  told  and  is  widely  believed  that  Mr.  Lincoln, 
seated  in  a  car  of  this  train,  jotted  down  the  Gettysburg 
speech  on  the  back  of  an  old  envelope,  or  other  sheet  of 
paper,  but  there  seems  to  be  no  good  authority  for  the 
story ;  it  is  like  the  Washington  "cherry  tree"  tale. 

On  arriving  at  Gettysburg,  Mr.  Lincoln  went  to  the 
home  of  Mr.  WTills  where  he  remained  that  night.  During 
the  evening,  Mr.  Lincoln  asked  his  host,  "Mr.  Wills,  what 
do  you  expect  from  me  to-morrow?"  Mr.  Wills  replied: 
"A  brief  address,  Mr.  President." 

Colonel  Nicolay  relates  definitely:  "It  was  after  the 
breakfast  hour  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  that  the  writer, 
Mr.  Lincoln's  private  secretary,  went  to  the  upper  room 

299 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

in  the  house  of  Mr.  Wills,  which  Mr.  Lincoln  occupied,  to 
report  for  duty,  and  remained  with  the  President  while  he 
finished  writing  the  Gettysburg  address,  during  the  short 
leisure  he  could  utilize  for  this  purpose  before  being  called 
to  take  his  place  in  the  procession,  which  was  announced 
on  the  program  to  move  promptly  at  ten  o'clock." 

The  day  was  bright  and  serene.  The  procession 
moved  out  of  the  town  and  took  the  road  to  the  new 
cemetery,  the  President  and  the  three  members  of  his  offi 
cial  retinue  riding  horses.  They  reached  the  little  wooden 
platform  for  the  speakers  at  eleven  o'clock  .  The  orator  of 
the  day,  Mr.  Everett,  got  there  half  an  hour  later,  and 
there  was  a  further  delay  of  half  an  hour  in  bringing  up 
the  military  bodies  and  arranging  them  and  the  civilian 
spectators,  so  that  all  might  hear  the  oration  by  Mr. 
Everett.  It  should  be  kept  in  mind,  by  all  who  strive  to 
grasp  the  whole  of  this  marvellous  event  in  American  his 
tory,  that  it  wras  Mr.  Everett  who  was  the  central  figure, 
the  "star"  of  the  program,  and  President  Lincoln  was 
there  merely  to  lend  the  color  of  the  Presidential  office 
and  say  only  a  few  perfunctory  words;  it  was  a  very 
minor  part  that  was  assigned  to  Mr.  Lincoln. 

At  about  noon,  Mr.  Everett  began  his  oration,  and 
splendidly  did  he  deliver  it.  It  was  one  of  the  most  mas 
terly  orations  in  American  history — many  believe  it  was 
the  equal  at  least  of  any  by  Daniel  Webster.  He  had  been 
constantly  occupied  for  weeks  in  preparing  it.  Eor  two 
hours  he  held  the  assembled  multitude  in  rapt  attention. 
When  he  finished,  a  great  storm  of  applause  burst  from 
the  thousands.  Then  the  Maryland  Musical  Association 
sang  a  hymn,  "  'Tis  Holy  Ground"  which  had  been  com 
posed  for  the  occasion,  and  at  the  last  President  Lincoln 
arose  to  conclude  the  ceremonies.  The  crowd  had  nearly 
exhausted  its  energy  and  emotion  in  listening  to  Mr. 
Everett.  Probably  they  were  physically  and  mentally 
tired.  They  did  not  expect  new  words,  new  thoughts, 
new  emotions.  What  could  Lincoln  say  that  had  not 
already  been  said  by  Everett?  • 

300 


NOVEMBER 

•• 

The  President,  holding  in  his  hand  the  two  pages  of 
manuscript  which  he  had  written,  part  with  pen  and  part 
with  pencil,  spoke  these  words : 

"Fourscore  and  seven  years  ago  our  fathers 
brought  forth  on  this  continent  a  new  nation,  con 
ceived  in  liberty,  and  dedicated  to  the  proposition 
that  all  men  are  created  equal.  Now  we  are  en 
gaged  in  a  great  civil  war,  testing  whether  that 
nation,  or  any  nation  so  conceived  and  so  dedi 
cated,  can  long  endure.  We  are  met  on  a  great 
*  battlefield  of  that  war.  We  have  come  to  dedicate 
a  portion  of  that  field,  as  a  final  resting-place  for 
those  who  here  gave  their  lives  that  that  nation 
might  live.  It  is  altogether  fitting  and  proper  that 
we  should  do  this.  But,  in  a  larger  sense,  we  can 
not  dedicate — we  cannot  consecrate — we  cannot 
hallow — this  ground.  The  brave  men,  living  and 
dead,  who  struggled  here  have  consecrated  it,  far 
above  our  poor  power  to  add  or  detract.  The  world 
will  little  note,  nor  long  remember  what  we  say 
here,  but  it  can  never  forget  what  they  did  here. 
It  is  for  us  the  living,  rather,  to  be  dedicated  here 
to  the  unfinished  work  which  they  who  fought  here 
have  thus  far  so  nobly  advanced.  It  is  rather  for  us 
to  be  here  dedicated  to  the  great  task  remaining 
before  us — that  from  these  honored  dead  we  take 
increased  devotion  to  that  cause  for  which  they 
gave  the  last  full  measure  of  devotion — that  we 
here  highly  resolve  that  these  dead  shall  not  have 
died  in  vain — that  this  nation,  under  God,  shall 
have  a  new  birth  of  freedom — and  that  government 
of  the  people,  by  the  people,  for  the  people,  shall 
not  perish  from  the  earth." 

That  was  all.  A  speech  of  267  words,  delivered  in  a 
measure  of  three  minutes  of  time. 

There  was  applause  when  he  ended.  But  the  bulk  of 
evidence  convinces  that,  in  that  audience,  there  was  very 

301 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

little  genuine  appreciation  of  the  divine  source  and  powei 
of  the  speech.  Mr.  Lincoln  himself  felt  that  he  had  failed 
to  hold  them.  He  said  to  a  friend,  "The  people  are  dis 
appointed." 

It  is  humanly  probable  that  he  spent  many  hours  in 
preparing  the  speech,  and  that  he  intended  it  to  be  just 
what  it  was — the  nation's  concentrated  thought  of  the 
hour.  Momentarily,  after  the  delivery,  he  had  the  sense 
of  failure.  But  later  came  the  triumph. 

The  next  morning,  Everett's  oration,  in  whole  or 
part,  and  Lincoln's  speech,  were  printed  in  all  the  leadmg 
daily  newspapers  of  the  North.  Millions  of  hearts  leaped 
at  the  first  reading  of  the  Lincoln  speech.  Forgotten  was 
the  Everett  oration.  Lincoln  had  spoken  a  message  from 
the  God-head,  to  the  people>of  the  North.  And  the  foreign 
newspaper  correspondents  cabled  it  to  Europe.  It  made 
a  profound  impression  in  the  British  Isles.  It  was  trans 
lated  at  once  into  all  the  chief  continental  languages  and 
it  thrilled  especially  the  educated. 

And  so  it  was  written  in  everlasting  letters  of  gold 
upon  the  tablets  of  the  world's  civilization.  Wherever 
men  battle  and  die  for  their  country,  wherever  men  aspire 
to  political  liberty,  wherever  men  and  women  teach  chil 
dren  the  duties  of  coming  citizenship,  and  wherever 
English  literature  lives  and  is  studied,  there  is  heard  and 
read  the  Gettysburg  speech. 

Nov.  20  (1620) — Peregrine  White,  the  first  native 
American  child  (a  girl)  of  the  Pilgrims,  born  on  board 
the  Mayflower  at  Provincetown,  Mass.,  year  1620. 

Nov.  20  (1780) — Lemuel  Haynes,  a  mulatto,  the  first 
negro  clergyman  in  the  United  States,  was  licensed  to 
preach,  year  1780.  He  was  born  at  West  Hartford,  Conn., 
in  1753.  He  served  as  soldier  in  the  Revolution.  He  be 
came  a  servant  in  the  home  of  Rev.  Daniel  Farrand,  the 
Congregational  minister  at  Granville,  Conn.,  who  taught 
him  Latin  and  Greek.  In  1785  he  was  formally  ordained 
a  Congregational  minister  at  Litchfield,  Conn.  He  had, 

302 


NOVEMBER 

two  years  before,  married  Elizabeth  Babbot  of  Hartford, 
a  white  woman.  The  church  members  of  his  first  parish, 
at  Torrington,  Conn.,  showed  a  prejudice  toward  his  race 
and  he  resigned,  after  preaching  two  years.  He  imme-' 
diately  was  called  to  a  church  at  Rutland,  Vt.,  where  he 
ministered  during  eighteen  years,  to  a  congregation  of 
whites,  with  little,  if  any,  opposition  on  account  of  his 
color.  Later  he  was  in  charge  of  parishes  at  Manchester, 
Vt.,  and  Granville,  N.  Y.,  until  his  death  in  1833.  His 
life  is  one  of  the  most  striking  illustrations  of  the  attitude 
of  the  people  of  New  England  during  the  first  half  cen 
tury  of  the  nation,  toward  the  negro  race. 

Nov.  21  (1806)— "Berlin  Decree"  issued  by  Napo 
leon  I.  from  his  "Imperial  camp  at  Berlin,"  declaring  the 
British  Isles  in  a  state  of  blockade,  and  forbidding  all 
trade  or  correspondence  with  England,  year  1806.  But 
he  had  hardly  a  warship  afloat  at  the  time  to  enforce  his 
decree.  His  action  was  in  retaliation  for  the  British 
Order  in  Council  of  May  16,  1806,  which  declared  a  block 
ade  of  the  entire  western  European  coast  from  the  river 
Elbe  in  Germany  to  Brest  in  France.  This  order  could 
not  be  enforced,  and  therefore  the  blockade  is  known  as  a 
"paper  blockade."  The  acts  of  both  England  and  France 
were  in  violation  of  theretofore  recognized  international 
law.  The  commerce  of  the  United  States  suffered  more 
than  any  other  neutral  nation  from  these  arbitrary  acts. 
The  War  of  1812  with  England  was  hastened  by  attempts 
to  enforce  these  acts. 

Nov.  22  (1897) — Published  returns  of  yellow  fever 
epidemic  from  southern  Mississippi  showed  4,286  cases  of 
which  446  were  fatal,  year  1897.  This  was  the  last  great 
epidemic  of  yellow  fever  in  the  United  States. 

Nov.  23  (1804)— Franklin  Pierce,  fourteenth  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  born  at  Hillsborough,  N.  H., 
year  1804;  died  at  Concord,  N.  H.,  Oct.  8,  1869.  Nomi 
nated  for  President  by  the  Democratic  party  in  1852  and 
elected.  Electoral  vote  (31  States)  :  Pierce,  254;  Winfield 

303 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Scott  (Whig),  42.  Inaugurated  March  4,  1853.  Served 
four  years.  The  chief  events  of  his  administration  were 
the  founding  of  the  Know-Nothing  Party  (1853),  the 
passage  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Act  which  included  the 
repeal  of  the  "Missouri  Compromise"  (1854),  the  treaty 
with  Japan  (1854),  and  the  Ostend  Manifesto  (1854). 

Nov.  23  (1837) — Patent  for  the  Crompton  loom  for 
cloth-weaving  issued  to  William  Crompton,  of  Taunton, 
Mass.,  year  1837.  By  this  machine,  it  became  possible  to 
weave  intricate  patterns  in  cotton  fabrics  by  machinery, 
instead  of  by  hand  as  formerly. 

Nov.  23  (1863) — Battle  of  Chattanooga  began,  year 
1863.  General  Grant  (60,000  Union  men)  vs.  Gen.  Brax- 
ton  Bragg  (40,000  Confederates  intrenched).  The  battle 
lasted  three  days  and  included  three  separate  battles,  viz. : 
Orchard  Knob  (Nov.  23),  Lookout  Mountain  (Nov.  24), 
and  Missionary  Ridge  (Nov.  25).  The  Union  forces  were 
victorious  in  all  the  battles,  the  Confederates  being  driven 
from  all  their  positions  and  Bragg's  entire  army  retreat 
ing.  The  total  Union  loss  during  the  three  days  was  757 
killed,  4,529  wounded  and  330  missing— total  5,616.  The 
Confederate  loss,  including  prisoners,  was  about  8,000.  In 
the  battle  of  the  first  day — Orchard  Knob,  just  outside 
Chattanooga — the  Union  troops  were  commanded  by 
Generals  Sherman  and  Thomas. 

Nov.  23  (1877) — Fisheries  commission,  appointed 
under  the  treaty  of  Washington  (year  1854)  to  arbitrate 
the  differences  between  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain,  awarded  $5,500,000  to  be  paid  by  the  United 
States  for  the  fisheries  privileges  in  the  Newfoundland 
waters,  year  1877. 

Nov.  24  (1784)— Zachary  Taylor,  twelfth  President 
of  the  United  States,  born  in  Orange  County,  Va.,  year 
1784;  died  at  Washington,  D.  C,  July  9,  1850;  buried  near 
Louisville,  Ky.  Because  of  his  successful  generalship  in 
the  Mexican  War,  he  was  nominated  for  President  by  the 
Whig  party  in  1848  and  elected.  Electoral  vote  (30 

304 


NOVEMBER 

States)  :  Taylor,  163;  Lewis  Cass  (Democratic),  127.  In 
augurated  March  4,  1849.  Served  1  year,  4  months  and 
6  days,  until  his  death.  The  chief  events  of  his  adminis 
tration  were  the  rush  of  emigrants,  the  "Forty-Niners," 
to  the  gold  fields  of  California,  and  the  debate  on  Henry 
Clay's  "Omnibus  Bill"  which  was  passed  after  his  death. 

Nov.  24  (1863) — Battle  of  Lookout  Mountain  (sec 
ond  day  of  Battle  of  Chattanooga),  year  1863.  Gen. 
Joseph  Hooker  (13,000  Union  men)  vs.  Gen.  Stevenson 
(Confederate,  12,000  men).  The  Union  troops  stormed 
up  the  mountain,  and  came  to  a  hand  to  hand  conflict 
with  the  Confederates  at  the  summit,  above  the  clouds. 
The  Confederates  retreated  to  Missionary  Ridge,  being 
partially  concealed  by  the  clouds.  This  battle  is  memor 
able  for  the  valor  of  the  Union  troops  and  the  strange 
conditions  of  the  battlefield. 

Nov.  25  (1758)— A  British  colonial  force  of  7,000 
men  under  General  Forbes  (British  officer)  captured 
Fort  Duquesne  (now  Pittsburgh)  which  was  evacuated 
by  the  French  garrison  of  500  men,  year  1758  (French 
and  Indian  War).  The  Virginia  troops  in  this  expedi 
tion  were  commanded  by  Washington.  Thus  the  English 
finally  secured  that  which  was  withheld  from  them  by 
Braddock's  defeat  in  1755.  (See  July  9.) 

Nov.  25  (1783) — Evacuation  Day.  On  this  day  in 
1783,  the  British  army  evacuated  New  York,  the  last 
military  position  which  they  held  in  the  United  States. 
They  had  held  the  city  of  New  York  during  seven  years 
and  two  months  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  from  the 
day  after  the  Battle  of  Long  Island,  Aug.  27,  1776.  When 
the  British  army,  under  Gen.  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  was  em 
barked,  ready  to  sail  away,  General  Knox  and  the  small 
part  of  the  American  army  not  already  disbanded 
marched  in  from  the  north  and  took  possession.  On  De 
cember  4,  at  Fraunce's  Tavern  in  Broad  Street,  Wash 
ington  met  his  generals  and  personally  bade  goodbye  to 
each  of  them  before  leaving  for  his  home  at  Mt.  Vernon. 

305 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Each  year  Evacuation  Day  is  celebrated  in  New  York 
by  the  Old  Guard,  a  military  organization  which  marches 
down  Broadway  from  59th  Street  to  the  Battery,  follow 
ing  the  route  of  Knox  and  his  little  detachment  of  victors. 

-Nov.  25  (1863) — Battle  of  Missionary  Ridge  (third 
day  of  the  Battle  of  Chattanooga),  year  1863.  General 
Sherman  (40,000  Union  men)  vs.  General  Bragg  (35,000 
Confederates).  The  Confederate  army  was  making  its 
last-stand  in  the  Battle  of  Chattanooga,  and  had  concen 
trated  upon  Missionary  Ridge.  A  large  part  of  the  Union 
force,  under  the  personal  command  of  Sherman,  met  with 
strong  resistance.  Another  part  of  the  army  composed 
of  veterans  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  at  4  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  suddenly  became  filled  with  uncontroll 
able  enthusiasm  and  spontaneously  sprang  forward  with 
out  orders  from  the  commander  and  swept  upward,  wildly 
cheering.  They  climbed  a  thousand  yards  over  rocks  and 
crags  in  the  face  of  a  terrible  fire  from  the  Confederate 
batteries  and  intrenchments.  Their  spirit  spread  to  the 
whole  Union  army  right  and  left,  which  moved  irresist 
ibly  upward,  and,  when  it  reached  the  top,  the  Confed 
erates  retreated  without  any  further  struggle  and  the 
Battle  of  Chattanooga  was  ended — won  by  the  Union 
armies.  It  is  said  that  General  Grant,  from  his  position 
upon  Orchard  Knob,  watched  this  unplanned  movement 
of  the  Union  troops,  and,  turning  to  General  Thomas 
near  him  asked  intensely,  "By  whose  order  is  this?", 
for  it  was  the  soldiers  of  Thomas  who  were  rushing  up 
the  mountain.  Thomas  replied,  with  a  curious  smile,  "By 
their  own,  I  fancy."  It  is  believed  that  Thomas  had  sug 
gested  the  movement  to  his  officers  before  the  battle  be 
gan.  The  Battle  of  Missionary  Ridge  is  deprecated  by 
the  Confederates  as  the  only  important  battle  of  the  war 
in  which  they  failed  to  display  their  normal  bravery. 

Nov.  25 — Labor  Day  in  Louisiana. 

306 


NOVEMBER 

THANKSGIVING  DAY 
Last  Thursday  in  November 

All  peoples  in  all  times  have  and  have  had  a  regular 
thanksgiving  day,  recurring  annually,  devoted  to  the  ex 
pression  of  appreciation  of  the  gifts  that  come  from  nature 
and  from  which  men  live.  Thanksgiving  is  the  one  uni 
versal  festival  of  the  human  race. 

The  Hebrews,  the  Greeks,  the  Romans  had  each  year 
a  harVest  feast.  The  Saxons  of  England,  about  the  year 
800,  regularly  established  the  Harvest  Home  festival, 
which  has  come  down  to  our  time  as  the  autumnal  thanks 
giving  feast  of  England.  It  came  about  in  England,  as  in 
all  the  Christian  countries  of  Europe,  that  the  harvest 
celebration  retained,  as  salient  features,  old  folk  customs 
that  originated  in  heathen  or  pagan  times,  and  these  were 
tolerated  by  the  Church  before  the  Reformation.  Cal 
vinism  revolted  against  these  "superstitions."  The  Pil 
grims,  in  England  and  in  Holland,  would  have  nothing 
to  do  with  such  Harvest  Home  usages.  However,  in 
Holland  they  found  that  the  Dutch  national  thanksgiv 
ing  festival  celebrated  annually  on  Oct.  3  in  commemora 
tion  of  the  delivery  of  the  Dutch  people  from  the  tyranny 
of  their  Spanish  rulers,  was  in  keeping  with  Puritan 
religious  principles.  The  Dutch,  on  this  day,  went  to 
church  and  thanked  God  for  their  deliverance  from  the 
enemy,  and  then  returned  home  to  eat  their  favorite,  his 
toric  dish,  a  stew  of  meat  and  vegetables  which  was 
actually  Spanish  hodge-podge,  or  hutch-putch  as  they 
called  it. 

The  first  winter  at  Plymouth  was  a  dreadful  time  for 
the  colonists  who  came  to  America  in  the  Mayflower. 
Ere  the  spring  of  1621,  more  than  half  their  number  had 
died,  and  the  hand  of  God  seemed  against  them.  Yet 
those  who  lived  lost  not  their  faith  and  hope.  They 
planted  Indian  corn,  wheat  and  barley.  A  perfect  sum 
mer  followed  and  the  harvest  was  abundant — far  beyond 
their  early  expectations.  What  more  natural  than  the 

307 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

exuberant  impulse  to  celebrate  this  first  harvest  by  a 
Thanksgiving  after  the  manner  of  the  Dutch? 

Edward  Winslow,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Plymouth 
colony,  wrote  a  letter  to  England  in  late  1621,  which  is 
printed  in  "Mourt's  Relation" ;  the  following  is  a  part  of 
the  letter : 

"Our  harvest  being  gotten  in,  our  Governor 
sent  foure  men  on  fowling,  so  that  we  might  after 
a  more  special  manner  rejoice  together,  after  we 
had  gathered  the  fruits  of  our  labours;  they  foure 
in  one  day  killed  as  much  fowle,  as  with  a  little 
help  beside,  served  the  .company  almost  a  week,  at 
which  time  amongst  other  recreations,  we  exer 
cised  our  Armes,  many  of  the  Indeans  coming 
amongst  us,  and  among  the  rest  their  great  king 
Massasoyt,  with  some  ninetie  men,  whom  for  three 
days  we  entertained  and  feasted,  and  they  went 
out  and  killed  five  Deere  which  they  brought  to 
the  Plantation  and  bestowed  on  our  Governor,  and 
upon  the  Captaine  [Myles  Standish],  and  others." 

This  was  the  first  harvest  feast  in  America. 

Two  years  later  there  was  another  Thanksgiving, 
which  more  directly  established  the  character  of  the  feast 
as  it  has  come  down  to  us — for  we  have  no  undisputed 
record  of  a  religious  service  in  the  first  Thanksgiving. 
William  Bradford,  in  his  "History  of  Plimouth  Planta 
tion,"  tells  that  in  May,  1623,  there  commenced  a  drouth 
which  lasted  until  the  middle  of  July  "without  any  rains 
and  with  great  heat  (for  the  most  part)  insomuch  as  the 
corn  began  to  wither  away.  .  .  .  Upon  which  they  sett  a 
parte  a  solemne  day  of  humiliation,  to  seek  the  Lord  by 
humble  and  fervente  prayer,  in  this  great  distress.  And 
he  was  pleased  to  give  them  a  gracious  and  speedy  an 
swer,  both  to  their  own  and  the  Indeans  admiration,  that 
lived  among  them."  Bradford  goes  on  to  describe  the 
bountiful  rain  that  fell  in  the  evening  of  that  day  which 
had  been  set  apart  for  prayer.  Well,  indeed,  might  they 

308 


NOVEMBER 

regard  it  as  a  direct  answer  to  their  petitions,  and  well 
might  the  Indians  be  profoundly  impressed  by  the  power 
and  goodness  of  the  God  of  the  Plymouth  white  men. 
"For  which  mercie  (in  time  convenient)  they  also  sett 
aparte  a  day  of  thanksgiving" — so  says  Bradford. 

The  date  of  this  second  Thanksgiving  was  July  30, 
and  its  chief  feature  was  the  religious  service.  We  have 
no  record  of  a  bounte^is  dinner  after  the  service,  but  it  is 
altogether  probable  that  the  colonists  did  eat  a  festival 
dinner  on  that  date.  Therefore,  most  American  religious 
writers,  and  some  other  historians,  name  this  festival  of 
1623  the  first  American  Thanksgiving  Day. 

There  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  Church  of 
Plymouth  from  this  time  forward,  celebratecUannually  a 
Thanksgiving  day,  and  usually  in  the  autumn,  but  there 
is  no  written  proof  of  it.  In  1668,  the  first  harvest 
Thanksgiving  proclamation  was  issued  by  the  civil 
authorities  of  Plymouth.  The  day  named  was  Novem 
ber  25. 

During  the  Revolutionary  War,  the  Continental  Con 
gress  appointed,  at  various  times,  days  "upon  which  the 
people  of  all  the  nation  should  give  thanks  to  God  for 
victory.  There  was  a  total  of  eight  such  days  in  seven 
years. 

The  first  Presidential  proclamation  appointing  a  day 
of  Thanksgiving  was  issued  by  Washington  on  Oct.  3, 
1789,  immediately  after  his  election.  It  reads,  in  part,  as 
follows : 

"Now,  therefore,  I  do  recommend  and  assign 
Thursday,  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  November  next, 
to  be  devoted  by  the  people  of  the  United  States 
to  the  service  of  that  great  and  glorious  Being, 
Who  is  the  Beneficent  Author  of  all  the  good  that 
was,  that  is,  or  that  will  be ;  that  we  may  then  all 
unite  in  rendering  unto  Him  our  sincere  and  humble 
thanks  for  His  kind  care  and  protection  of  the 
people  of  this  country. . .  ;  and,  in  general,  for  all 
309 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

the  great  and  various  favours,  which  He  has  been 
pleased  to  confer  upon  us.  .  .  ." 

But  Washington  did  not  establish  Thanksgiving  as 
a  national  civic  festival  to  be  celebrated  annually.  It  is 
a  curious  fact  in  our  history  that  Thanksgiving  Day,  from 
early  Colonial  times  down  to  the  years  shortly  before  the 
Civil  War,  was  essentially  a  New  England  festival.  The 
people  of  the  South,  among  whoiff  were  few  Puritans, 
looked  upon  the  festival  as  almost  wholly  a  Puritan 
church  feast.  They,  in  the  South,  followed  the  traditions 
of  the  Episcopalian  and  Catholic  churches,  which  re 
garded  Christmas  as  the  great  festival  of  thanksgiving. 
The  early  New  Englanders  had  little  respect  for  Christ 
mas.  FurUiermore,  during  the  long  controversy  over  the 
slavery  question,  beginning  at  the  very  organization  of 
the  nation,  New  England  and  the  South  grew  farther  and 
farther  apart,  religiously  and  politically.  And  so  the 
Southerners  refused  to  celebrate  Thanksgiving. 

In  1857,  Governor  Wise  of  Virginia  issued  the  first 
proclamation  in  the  South,  calling  upon  the  people  of  his 
State  to  observe  Thanksgiving  Day.  Only  a  minority  in 
Virginia  followed  him.  Next  year,  the  governors  of  seven 
other  Southern  States  issued  Thanksgiving  proclama 
tions,  and  thus  the  day  was  established  -in  the  South- 
but  only  for  a  short  period.  Soon  came  the  Civil  War,  and 
the  South,  at  least,  had  little  thought  of  an  autumnal 
thanksgiving.  Besides,  all' things  of  New  England,  at 
this  time,  were  anathema  in  the  South. 

In  the  autumn  of  1864  the  tide  of  war  had  set 
strongly  against  the  Southern  Confederacy.  On  Oct.  20 
of  that  year  President  Lincoln  issued  a  proclamation,  of 
which  the  following  is  the  main  part: 

"A  Proclamation" 

"It  has  pleased  almighty  God  to  prolong  our 

national  life  another  year,  defending  us  with  His 

guardian    care    against    unfriendly    designs    from 

abroad,  and  vouchsafing  to  us  in  His  mercy  many 

310 


NOVEMBER 

and  signal  victories  over  the  enemy,  who  is  of  our 
own  househoM. 

''Now,  therefore,  I,  Abraham  Lincoln,  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  do  hereby  appoint  and 
set  apart  the  last  Thursday  of. November  next  as  a 
day  which  I  desire  to  be  observed  by  all  my  fellow- 
citizens,  wherever  they  may  be,  as  a  day  of  thanks 
giving  and  praise  to  almighty  God,  the  benefi 
cent  Creator  and  Ruler  of  the  Universe.  And  I  do 
further  recommend  to  my  fellow-citizens  aforesaid 
that  on  that  day  they  do  reverendly  humble  them 
selves  in  the  dust,  and  from  thence  offer  up  peni 
tent  and  fervent  prayers  and  supplications  to  the 
great  Disposer  of  events  for  a  return  of  the  ines 
timable  blessings  of  peace,  union  and  harmony 
throughout  the  land  which  it  has  pleased  Him  to 
assign  as  a  dwelling  place  for  ourselves  and  for  our 
posterity  throughout  all  generations." 

It  will  be  noted  that  Mr.  Lincoln  followed  the  style 
of  Washington  in  his  proclamation.  Lincoln  had  in 
formally  announced  his  intention  to  establish  Thanksgiv 
ing  as  an  annual  national  holiday.  He  died  in  April  of 
the  next  year.  Yet  his  wish  has  been  carried  out.  Each 
of  his  successors  as  President  has  issued  a  Thanksgiving 
proclamation  every  year,  appointing  the  day  first  speci 
fically  set  by  Lincoln — the  "last  Thursday  in  November." 

About  the  year  1882,  when  the  bitterness  between 
North  and  South  was  appreciably  healing,  leading  broad- 
minded  Southerners  again  advocated  the  celebration  of 
Thanksgiving  Day.  It  grew  in  favor,  in  Dixie,  year  by 
year,  until  it  is  now  as  firmly  established  as  Christmas, 
though  not  as  popular  as  the  latter  festival. 

The  following  is  part  of  the  Thanksgiving  proclama 
tion  issued  by  President  Wilson  on  Nov.  8,  1917 — the 
first  proclamation  in  time  of  war  since  the  Lincoln  proc 
lamation.  The  closing  paragraph  is  typical  of  the  procla 
mations  of  all  the  Presidents  since  LincolnT 

311 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

"It  has  long  been  the  custom  of  our  people  to 
turn  in  the  fruitful  autumn  of  the  year  in  praise 
and  thanksgiving  to  Almighty  God  for  His  many 
blessings  and  mercies  to  us  as  a  Nation.  That  cus 
tom  we  can  follow  now,  even  in  the  midst  of  the 
tragedy  of  a  world  shaken  by  war  and  immeasur 
able  disaster,  in  the  midst  of  sorrow  and  great  peril, 
because  even  midst  the  darkness  that  has  gathered 
about  us  we  can  see  the  great  blessings  God  has 
bestowed  upon  us ;  blessings  that  are  better  than 
mere  peace  of  mind  and  prosperity  of  enterprise. . . 

"Wherefore,  I,  Woodrow  Wilson,  President 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  do  hereby  desig 
nate  Thursday,  the  29th  day  of  November  next,  as 
a  day  of  thanksgiving  and  prayer,  and  invite  the 
people  throughout  the  land  to  cease  upon  that  day 
from  their  ordinary  occupations  and  in  their  sev 
eral  homes  and  places  of  worship  to  render  thanks 
to  God,  the  Great  Ruler  of  nations." 

Nov.  26  (1832) — The  first  street  railway  in  America 
began  operation,  year  1832.  It  was  the  New  York  and 
Harlem  road.  The  first  car  was  invented  and  constructed 
by  John  Stephenson  of  New  York.  It  was  pulled  by  one 
horse  and  ran  from  the  City  Hall  in  New  York  to  14th 
street,  a  distance  of  about  a  mile  and  three  quarters. 

Nov.  27  (1904) — Signing  of  an  arbitration  treaty  be 
tween  the  United  States  and  Germany,  year  1904. 

Nov.  28  (1785)— Treaty  of  Hopewell,  S.  C.,  with  the 
Cherokees  Indians,  year  1785.  This  was  the  first  treaty 
with  Indians  made  by  the  United  States.  It  was  nego 
tiated  and  signed  by  Joseph  Martin  of  Virginia,  a  pioneer 
and  Indian  fighter,  on  behalf  of  the  United  States. 

Nov.  29  (1847) — Marcus  Whitman,  pioneer  and 
leader  in  the  colonization  of  Oregon,  was  massacred  by 
Indians  at  Waulatpu,  Ore.,  together  with  his  wife,  two 
adopted  children  and  ten  other  settlers,  year  1847.  The 

312 


NOVEMBER 

incident  aroused  a  storm  of  religious  bitterness  through 
out  the  nation.  The  murder  was  the  climax  of  a  dispute 
between  the  Catholic  missionaries  of  Oregon  and  the 
newly  arrived  Protestant  colonists.  This  dispute  was 
taken  up  by  Indians  against  the  Protestants,  as  a  pretext 
for  the  satisfaction  of  their  savage  appetites. 

Nov.  29  (1760) — Detroit  surrendered  by  French  to 
the  English  at  the  end  of  the  French  and  Indian  war, 
year  1760. 

Nov.  30  (1835)— Samuel  Langhorne  Clemens  ("Mark 
Twain"),  author  and  lecturer,  born  in  Florida,  Monroe 
County,  Mo.,  year  1835;  died  at  his  home  at  Redding, 
Conn.,  April  21,  1910.  The  greatest  of  American  literary 
humorists.  When  a  young  man,  he  became  a  pilot  on  the 
Mississippi  River,  where  the  leadsman  in  sounding  the 
depth  of  water  in  which  the  steamboat  "was  moving, 
would  cry  out,  "mark  twain!",  "mark  three!",  etc.,  mean 
ing  two  fathoms,  three  fathoms,  etc.  Clemens  began  his 
literary  career  as  city  editor  of  the  Virginia  City  (Nev.) 
Enterprise  in  1862,  and,  in  reporting  the  proceedings  of 
the  Nevada  legislature,  signed  the  pen  name  "Mark 
Twain."  Later,  in  his  books,  he  used  the  same  pseudo 
nym,  and  finally  became  universally  known  by  that  name. 
His  best  known  books  are  "The  Jumping  Frog  and  other 
sketches"  (1867),  "The  Innocents  Abroad"  (1869),  "Ad 
ventures  of  Tom  Sawyer"  (1876)  and  "Adventures  of 
Huckleberry  Finn"  (1885). 

Nov.  30  (1864)— Battle  of  Franklin,  Tenn.,  year 
1864.  Gen.  John  B.  Hood  (Confederate,  45,000  men)  vs. 
Gen.  John  McAllister  Schofield  (Union,  22,000  men). 
Gen.  Hood,  after  the  capture  of  Atlanta  by  the  Union 
armies,  moved  northwestward  in  Tennessee,  where  Gen 
eral  Thomas  was  in  command.  The  army  of  Thomas 
was  to  be  concentrated  at  Nashville.  A  large  part  of  this 
army,  under  General  Schofield,  was  moving  to  join  the 
main  body  at  Nashville.  Hood  quickly  planned  to  destroy 
this  force  under  Schofield  before  it  could  reach  Nashville. 

313 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Schofield's  force,  anticipating  the  danger,  was  intrenched 
at  Franklin,  30  miles  south  of  Nashville,  on  the  Harpeth 
River.  Here,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  Con 
federate  army  was  thrown  at  Schofield's  force  in  one  of 
the  fiercest  and  bloodiest  assaults  of  the  Civil  War.  The 
Union  force  repelled  the  assault,  and  that  night  Schoneld 
safely  crossed  the  river  and  marched  on  to  join  Thomas 
at  Nashville.  The  Union  loss  in  the  battle  was  189  killed, 
1,033  wounded  and  1,104  missing — total  2,326.  The  Con 
federate  loss  was  given  by  Hood  at  ''about  4,500" ;  Gen 
eral  Thomas  estimated  it  at  6,252 — all  killed  and  wounded 
except  700. 


314 


DECEMBER 

December  1  (1816) — Baltimore,  Md.,  was  lighted  by 
gas,  the  first  municipality  in  America  to  use  this  illumi- 
nant,  year  1816. 

Dec.  1  (1842) — Hanging  of  Midshipman  Philip 
Spencer,  Boatswain  Samuel  Cromwell  and  Seaman  Elisha 
Small  from  the  yard  arm  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Somers,  a  brig 
of  war,  at  sea  in  West  Indian  waters,  year  1842.  The 
three  were  convicted  by  court  martial  of  conspiring  to 
organize  a  mutiny,  murder  the  officers,  and  turn  the  ship 
into  a  pirate  cruiser.  This  is  the  only  instance  of  punish 
ment  by  death  for  mutiny  in  the  history  of  the  United 
States  Navy. 

Dec.  1  (1866) — Patent  for  a  typewriter  called  the 
"Pterotype"  issued  to  John  Pratt,  a  native  of  South  Caro 
lina  who  had  gone  to  England  during  the  Civil  War  and 
there  produced  his  machine,  year  1866.  This  machine 
was  first  recognized  in  England  and  was  the  prototype  of 
the  English  typewriters.  It  had  a  limited  sale.  It  is 
claimed  that  Christopher  L.  Sholes,  the  inventor  of  the 
American  typewriter  (1867)  that  later  became  the  Rem 
ington,  was  indebted  to  the  "Pterotype"  for  his  most 
valuable  ideas. 

THE  "MONROE  DOCTRINE" 

December  2,  1823 

This  so-called  doctrine  was  contained  in  a  message 
by  President  Monroe  to  the  Eighteenth  Congress  on  the 
second  day  of  its  first  session,  Dec.  2,  1823.  This  message 
dealt  with  a  number  of  subjects,  foreign  and  domestic, 
as  is  usual  in  the  annual  messages  of  Presidents.  The 
recent  revolutions  in  South  America  and  the  organiza 
tions  of  the  republics  of  Argentine,  Chile,  and  Colombia 
in  what  had  been  Spanish  territory,  and  the  unconcealed 
sympathy  of  European  governments  with  Spain  in  her 
wars  with  her  South  American  colonies  had  brought 

315 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

home  to  the  people  of  the  United  States  the  question  of 
national  policy  in  the  event  that  these  European  nations 
would,  with  military  and  naval  forces,  aid  Spain  to  re 
conquer  her  lost  provinces,  or  hold  any  others  on  this 
continent  now  in  her  possession.  Also,  the  Russian  gov 
ernment  had  pushed  its  way  into  Alaska  and  was  estab 
lishing  itself  on  this  continent.  Therefore,  President 
Monroe  wrote  the  following  in  his  annual  message: 

"In  the  wars  of  the  European  powers  in  matters  re 
lating  to  themselves  we  have  never  taken  any  part,  nor 
does  it  comport  with  our  policy  so  to  do.  It  is  only  when 
our  rights  are  invaded  or  seriously  menaced  that  we 
resent  injuries  or  make  preparation  for  our  defense.  With 
the  movements  in  this  hemisphere,  we  are,  of  necessity, 
more  immediately  connected,  and  by  causes  which  must 
be  obvious  to  all  enlightened  and  impartial  observers. 
The  political  system  of  the  allied  powers  is  essentially 
different  in  this  respect  from  that  of  America.  This  dif 
ference  proceeds  from  that  which  exists  in  their  respec 
tive  governments.  And  to  the  defense  of  our  own,  which 
has  been  achieved  by  the  loss  of  so  much  blood  and  trea 
sure,  and  matured  by  the  wisdom  of  their  most  enlight 
ened  citizens,  and  under  which  we  have  enjoyed  unex 
ampled  felicity,  this  whole  nation  is  devoted.  We  owe  it, 
therefore,  to  candor,  and  to  the  amicable  relations  exist 
ing  between  the  United  States  and  those  powers,  to 
declare  that  we  should  consider  any  attempt  on  their  part 
to  extend  their  system  to  any  portion  of  this  hemisphere 
as  dangerous  to  our  peace  and  safety.  With  the  existing 
colonies  or  dependencies  of  any  European  power  we  have 
not  interfered,  and  shall  not  interfere.  But  with  the  gov 
ernments  who  have  declared  their  independence  and 
maintained  it,  and  whose  independence  we  have,  on  great 
consideration  and  on  just  principles,  acknowledged,  we 
could  not  view  any  interposition  for  the  purpose  of  op 
pressing  them,  or  controlling  in  any  other  manner  their 
destiny,  by  any  European  power,  in  any  other  light  than 

316 


DECEMBER 

as  the  manifestation  of  an  unfriendly  disposition  towards 
the  United  States." 

This  declaration  was  enthusiastically  indorsed  by  the 
people  of  this  nation.  It  has  ever  since  remained  as  the 
perfect  expression  of  an  unwavering  policy  of  the  govern 
ment  of  the  United  States. 

Dec.  2  (1856) — First  patent  for  a  device  to  arrange 
a  railway  car  seat  as  a  sleeping  couch,  issued  to  Theodore 
T.  Woodruff,  the  inventor,  year  1856.  The  idea  was 
developed  by  Webster  Wagner  on  the  New  York  Central 
Ry.  in  1858  and  by  George  M.  Pullman  in  1859. 

Dec.  2  (1859) — John  Brown  of  Ossawatomie,  aboli 
tionist  leader,  was  hanged  at  Charles  Town,  Va.,  year 
1859.  (See  May  9.) 

Dec.  2  (1863) — First  ground  broken  for  the  construc 
tion  of  yie  Union  Pacific  Railway,  the  first  transconti 
nental  railway,  year  1-863.  The  ceremony  took  place  at 
Omaha,  Neb.  George  Francis  Train  of  Boston,  one  of 
the  chief  promoters  of  the  enterprise,  dug  the  first  shovel 

full  of  earth. 

• 
Dec.  3   (1750) — First  opera  sung  in  America,  year 

1750.  It  was  the  "Beggar's  Opera"  by  John  Gay  and  was 
produced  at  New  York. 

Dec.  3  (1818) — Illinois  was  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1818. 

Dec.  3  (1826) — George  Brinton  McClellan,  soldier, 
born  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  year  1826;  died  at  West 
Orange,  N.  J.,  Oct.  29,  1885;  buried  at  Trenton,  N.  J. 
Graduated  from  West  Point  in  1846.  Served  throughout 
the  Mexican  War.  Reached  the  rank  of  captain  in  1855 
and,  in  1857,  resigned  from  the  army.  In  1859  became 
president  of  the  St.  Louis,  Missouri  and  Cincinnati  Ry. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  WTar  was  commissioned 
major  general  of  Ohio  volunteers.  A  month  later  was 
made  major  general  of  the  U.  S.  Army,  and  five  months 
after  was  given  command  of  all  the  armies  of  the  United 
States.  His  rise  from  captain  to  commander-in-chief  was 

317 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

the  most  extraordinary  in  the  military  history  of  the 
United  States.  (See  Birthday  of  U.  S.  Grant,  April  27.) 
Was  defeated  by  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee  in  the  Peninsula  cam 
paign  of  1862.  (See  June  26  and  July  1.)  Was  removed 
from  command  Aug.  3,  1862.  Was  restored  one  month 
later  and  on  Sept.  14,  fought  the  drawn  battle  of  Antie- 
tam  against  Lee.  On  Nov.  5,  1862  he  was  again  removed 
from  command,  and  "retired  permanently.  In  1864,  he 
was  nominated  by  the  Democratic  party  for  President. 
Was  defeated.  Electoral  vote  (25  States)  :  Lincoln,  212; 
McClellan,  21.  In  1878,  was  elected  Governor  of  New 
Jersey.  His  popularity  among  the  Union  soldiers  was 
extraordinary.  As  an  engineer  and  military  organizer  his 
reputation  remains  very  high.  As  a  military  strategist 
he  is  outranked  by  a  number  in  both  Union  and  Confed 
erate  armies,  though  he  has  had  many  enthusiastic  eulo 
gists  among  military  authorities,  who  assert  that  he  was 
the  victim  of  political  enmities  and  jealousies. 

Dec.  3  (1833) — The  American  Anti-Slavery  Society 
organized  at  a  convention  held  in  the  house  of  Evan 
Lewis,  a  Quaker,  at  Philadelphia,  year  1833.  Between 
sixty  and  seventy  delegates  were  present.  Beriah  Green, 
an  independent  clergyman  of  Ohio,  was  elected  the  first 
president.  The  poet  John  G.  Whittier,  and  Lewis  Tappan 
were  the  secretaries.  Next  clay,  Dec.  4,  they  adopted  a 
"Declaration  of  Sentiments"  which  was  written  by  Wil 
liam  Lloyd  Garrison  who  was  the  leading  spirit  of  the 
movement.  This  "Declaration"  marks  the  time  when 
"Slavery"  became  a  national  political  question  at  issue  in 
the  United  States. 

Dec.  4  (1783) — Washington  bade  farewell  to  his  offi 
cers  at  the  end  of  the  Revolution,  in  Fraunce's  Tavern, 
New  York,  year  1783.  The  building  is  preserved  by  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution. 

Dec.  5  (1782)— Martin  Van  Buren,  eighth  President 
of  the  LTnited  States,  born  at  Kinderhook,  N.  Y.,  year 
1782;  died  at  Kinderhook  on  July  24,  1862.  Was  nomi- 

318 


DECEMBER 

nated  for  President  by  the  Democratic  party  in  1836  and 
elected.  Electoral  vote  (26  States):  Van  Buren,  170; 
William  Henry  Harrison  (Whig),  73.  Inaugurated 
March  4,  1837;  served  four  years.  The  chief  events  of 
his  administration  were  the  Seminole  War  (1835-1842), 
the  invention  of  the  magnetic  telegraph  (1837),  the 
"Patriot  War"  (1837-1838)  in  Canada,  and  the  financial 
panic  of  1837. 

Dec.  6  (1864) — President  Lincoln  issued  his  fourth 
and  last  annual  message  to  Congress. 

Dec.  7  (1787)— The  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
was  ratified  by  Delaware  and  without  amendments,  year 
1787.  This  was  the  first  State  to  ratify.  The  other 
States  ratified  as  follows:  Pennsylvania,  Dec.  12,  1787; 
New  Jersey,  Dec.  18,  1787;  Georgia,  Jan.  2,  1788;  Connec 
ticut,  Jan.  9,  1788;  Massachusetts,  Feb.  6,  1788;  Mary 
land,  April  28,  1788;  South  Carolina,  May  23,  1788;  New 
Hampshire,  June  21,  1788;  Virginia,  June  25,  1788;  New 
York,  July  26,  1788;  North  Carolina,  Nov.  21,  1789; 
Rhode  Island,  May  29,  1790.  The  Constitution  became 
operative  when  nine  States  had  ratified,  that  is  on  June 
21,  1788  when  New  Hampshire  passed  the  act  of  rati 
fication. 

Dec.  7  (1894) — A  Convention  regulating  Chinese  im 
migration  was  ratified  by  the  United  States  and  China, 
year  1894.  By  the  terms  of  this  convention,  the  "coming, 
except  under  conditions  hereinafter  specified,  of  Chinese 
laborers  to  the  United  States  shall  be  absolutely  pro 
hibited." 

It  was  provided  that  the  prohibition  would  not  apply 
to  "officials,  teachers,  students,  merchants  or  travellers 
for  curiosity  or  pleasure,  but  not  laborers."  All  these 
named  classes  might  come  and  reside  in  the  United 
States.  Also  it  was  provided  that  any  Chinese  laborer 
then  residing  in  the  United  States  and  registered,  if  he 
had  a  wife,  child  or  parent  in  the  United  States,  or  owned 
$1,000  worth  of  property  or  owed  that  amount  of  debt, 

319 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

might  leave  the  country  and  be  allowed  to  come  back. 
Every  ten  years,  the  terms  of  the  convention  could  be 
altered  or  abrogated  upon  formal  notice  by  one  of  the 
nations.  (See  November  5.) 

Dec.  7  (1917) — Congress  declared  war  against 
Austria-Hungary,  nine  months  after  the  declaration  of 
war  against  Germany  (see  April  6,  1917).  For  reasons 
of  state,  Congress  did  not  at  this  time  declare  war  against 
Turkey  and  Bulgaria,  the  other  two  members  of  the  Cen 
tral  European  alliance. 

Dec.  8  (1801), — First  written  Presidential  Message 
read  to  Congress,  year  1801.  It  was  sent  by  President 
Jefferson  to  the  Seventh  Congress,  which  met  at  Wash 
ington  on  Dec.  7,  1801.  Prior  to  this,  it  had  been  the 
custom,  inaugurated  by  Washington,  for  the  President  to 
appear  in  person  before  Congress  and  speak  his  message, 
reading  from  manuscript  if  he  so  desired.  Presidents 
Washington  and  John  Adams  were  good  speakers,  and 
liked  to  go  ceremoniously  in  person  to  the  hall  where  the 
Congress  awaited  them.  Besides,  it  was  the  custom  for 
the  King  of  England  to  appear  personally  before  the  Par 
liament  and  deliver  his  "Speech"  at  the  opening  of  that 
legislative  body.  But  Jefferson  was  a  poor  speaker.  Also 
he  was  an  intense  republican,  opposed  to  all  forms  of 
monarchical  ceremony,  and  he  regarded  this  ceremony  of 
the  "speech"  to  Congress  as  a  relic  of  the  old  regime. 
So  he  sent  his  first  annual  message  by  a  quiet,  business 
like  messenger,  and  with  it  he  sent  a  verbal  announce 
ment  that  no  "reply"  was  expected.  Here  is  Jefferson's 
letter  to  the  president  of  the  Senate : 

"Sir: — The  circumstances  under  which  we 
find  ourselves  at  this  place  rendering  inconvenient 
the  mode  heretofore  practised  of  making,  by  per 
sonal  address,  the  first  communications  between 
the  legislative  and  executive  branches,  I  have 
adopted  that  by  message,  as  used  on  all  subsequent 
occasions  through  the  session.  In  doing  this,  I 
320 


DECEMBER 

have  had  principal  regard  to  the  convenience  of 
the  legislature,  to  the  economy  of  their  time,  to 
their  relief  from  the  embarrassment  of  immediate 
answers  on  subjects  not  yet  fully  before  them,  and 
to  the  benefits  thence  resulting  to  the  public  affairs. 
Trusting  that  a  procedure  founded  on  these  mo 
tives  will  meet  their  approbation,  I  beg  leave 
through  you,  sir,  to  communicate  the  inclosed  copy 
with  the  documents  accompanying  it,  to  the  honor 
able  the  Senate,  and  pray  you  to  accept  for  your 
self  and  them,  the  homage  of  my  high  regard  and 
consideration."  (Copied  from  Randall's  "Life  of 
Thomas  Jefferson.") 

The  custom  of  written  presidential  messages  re 
mained  unbroken  for  more  than  a  century,  until  President 
Wilson,  in  1913,  revived  the  Washingtonian  form  and  ap 
peared  in  person  before  Congress  to  read  his  annual  mes 
sage. 

Dec.  8  (1837)— Wendell  Phillips  delivered  his  first 
"abolition"  speech  at  Boston  in  Faneuil  Hall,  protesting 
against  the  murder  of  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy  at  Alton,  111., 
year  1837. 

Dec.  9  (1792) — First  formal  cremation  of  a  human 
body  in  America,  year  1792.  The  body  was  that  of  Henry 
Laurens,  a  leading  statesman  of  the  Colonies  and  one  of 
the  commissioners  who  signed  the  treaty  of  Paris  ending 
the  Revolutionary  War.  In  his  will  he  provided  the  fol 
lowing:  "I  solemnly  enjoin  it  on  my  son,  as  an  indis 
pensable  duty,  that  as  soon  as  he  conveniently  can,  after 
my  decease,  he  cause  my  body  to  be  wrapped  in  twelve 
yards  of  tow  cloth  and  burned  until  it  be  entirely  con 
sumed,  and  then,  collecting  my  bones,  deposit  them 
wherever  he  may  think  proper."  Colonel  Laurens  died 
at  his  plantation  near  Charleston,  N.  C.,  on  Dec.  8,  1792, 
and  there  he  was  cremated. 

Dec.  10  (1817) — Mississippi  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1817. 

321 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Dec.  10  (1898)— Treaty  of  peace  between  the  United 
States  and  Spain  signed  at  Paris,  France,  year  1898,  end 
ing  the  Spanish  War. 

Dec.  11  (1620) — The  Pilgrims  landed  on  this  date  in 
the  Julian  Calendar  year  1620.  This  calendar  was  at  that 
time  used  in  England,  though  the  new  corrected  system 
had  been  promulgated  by  Pope  Gregory  in  1582.  The 
Gregorian  Calendar  was  not  adopted  in  England  until 
1752.  In  that  year,  the  dates  between  Sept.  2  and  Sept. 
14  were  omitted — eleven  days.  The  Julian  Calendar  is 
usually  referred  to  as  "Old  Style"  and  the  Gregorian 
Calendar  as  "New  Style"  by  historians  who  write  of  the 
period  between  1582  and  1751.  The  early  reports  of  Ply 
mouth  plantation  give  the  date  Dec.  11  as  the  day  of  the 
landing.  When  the  reform  was  adopted,  and  eleven  days 
left  off,  the  date  of  the  landing  was  called  Dec.  22  which 
is  the  date  now  celebrated  as  Forefathers'  Day.  (See 
Sept.  14.) 

Dec.  11  (1816)— ^Indiana  was  admitted  into  the 
Union,  year  1816. 

Dec.  12  (1831) — First  national  party  convention  met 
to  nominate  a  candidate  for  President  and  adopt  a  plat 
form,  year  1831.  It  was  the  convention  of  the  National 
Republican  party — later  called  the  Whig  party.  It  nomi 
nated  Henry  Clay  for  President  to  be  voted  for  in  Nov. 
1832.  Prior  to  this  convention,  party  candidates  for 
President  had  been  regularly  nominated  by  caucuses  of 
Congressmen.  The  system  was  called  "the  Congressional 
Caucus." 

Dec.  12  (1901) — First  signal  by  wireless  telegraph 
across  the  Atlantic,  year  1901.  It  was  the  letter  "S,"  sent 
by  Guglielmo  Marconi,  the  inventor  of  the  Marconi  sys 
tem  of  wireless  telegraphy,  from  England  to  Newfound 
land. 

Dec.  13  (1862)— Battle  of  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  year 
1862.  Gen.  Ambrose  E.  Burnside  (Union,  100,000  men) 
vs.  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee  (Confederate,  78,000  men).  A  Con- 

322 


DECEMBER 

federate  victory.  The  Confederate  army  was  strongly 
posted  upon  the  heights  overlooking  the  Rappahannock 
River  at  Fredericksburg.  The  town  lies  beside  the  river 
on  the  southwest  bank  at  the  foot  of  these  heights.  The 
Union  Army  of  the  Potomac  had  moved  southward  to  at 
tack  Lee's  army  and  had  come  to  the  river  side  opposite 
Fredericksburg.  Shortly  before  this  General  McClellan 
had  been  relieved  from  the  command  of  the  Union  Army 
and  General  Burnside  had  been  promoted  to  command  in 
his  place.  It  is  said  that  Burnside  did  not  want  to  attack 
Lee  at  this  time  and  place  for  the  chances  of  a  Union  vic 
tory  were  small ;  but  the  people  of  the  North  had  grown 
impatient  because  of  the  dilatory  movements  of  McClel 
lan  and  the  great  Army  of  the  Potomac  during  the  three 
months  following  the  Battle  of  Antietam,  and  so  over 
whelming  public  opinion  demanded  that  the  army  fight 
a  battle  at  once,  regardless  of  the  military  situation. 
Burnside  yielded  to  this  clamor.  On  the  morning  of  the 
12th  the  Union  army  began  to  cross  the  river  on  five  pon 
toon  bridges  in  the  face  of  artillery  fire,  and  succeeded  in 
occupying  the  town  of  Fredericksburg  that  day.  Next 
morning,  the  entire  line  of  100,000  men  swept  upward 
against  the  Confederate  batteries  and  rifle  pits.  A  terrible 
struggle  ensued.  Again  and  again  the  Union  divisions 
charged  up  the  hills  and  were  hurled  back,  until  the  early 
winter  darkness  ended  the  bloody  conflict.  The  Union 
army  held  the  town  of  Fredericksburg,  but  had  not  suc 
ceeded  in  driving  the  Confederates  from  their  position 
upon  the  heights.  Next  morning,  Dec.  14,  Burnside  re 
treated,  recrossing  the  river,  back  to  his  encampment  on 
the  northeast  bank,  and  the  Fredericksburg  campaign 
ended — one  of  the  most  disastrous  of  the  Civil  War  to 
the  Union  cause.  The  Union  loss  was  1,180  killed,  9,028 
wounded  and  2,145  missing — total  12,353.  The  Confed 
erate  total  was  4,300.  On  Jan.  25,  1863,  six  weeks  after 
this  battle,  General  Burnside  was  removed  from  com 
mand  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  was  succeeded 
by  Gen.  Joseph  Hooker. 

323 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Dec.  14  (1719) — First  number  of  the  Boston  Gazette 
issued,  year  1719.  This  was  the  second  newspaper  estab 
lished  in  America.  (See  April  24.)  Its  proprietor  and 
editor  was  Thomas  Campbell,  a  Scotsman,  the  son  of 
Duncan  Campbell  who  organized  the  postal  system  of 
America  and  was  postmaster  of  Boston. 

Dec.  14  (1799) — George  Washington  died  at  his 
home  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Va.,  year  1799,  aged  sixty-seven 
years.  (See  Washington's  Birthday,  Feb.  22.) 

Dec.  14  (1819) — Alabama  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1819. 

Dec.  15  (1790) — First  lecture  on  law  delivered  in  the 
new  law  school  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  the 
first  law  school  in  America,  year  1790.  The  lecturer  was 
Dr.  John  Ewing.  President  Washington  and  his  entire 
cabinet,  the  members  of  both  houses  of  Congress  and  of 
the  Pennsylvania  legislature  were  present  at  the  lecture. 

Dec.  15  (1814)— The  "Hartford  Convention"  met  (at 
Hartford,  Conn.),  year  1814.  It  was  composed  of  twenty- 
six  delegates  appointed  by  the  legislatures  of  Massachu 
setts,  Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  Vermont  and  New 
Hampshire — all  Federalists  in  politics.  Its  sessions  were 
held  in  secret.  It  adjourned  on  Jan.  5,  1815  and  published 
a  report  protesting  against  the  war  with  England  which 
was  then  being  wraged.  It  recommended  that  the  powers 
of  Congress  to  declare  war  and  lay  embargos  be  re 
stricted.  It  was  bitterly  attacked  by  leaders  in  the 
Eastern  and  Western  States  and  territories,  who  charged 
that  the  New  England  group  w7ere  traitors.  Its  recom 
mendations  were  coldly  received. 

Dec.  15  (1864)— Battle  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  year 
1864.  Gen.  George  H.  Thomas  (Union,  55,000  men)  vs. 
Gen.  John  B.  Hood  (Confederate,  44,000  men).  The 
battle  lasted  two  days  (Dec.  15  and  16).  It  resulted  in  a 
complete  Union  victory.  On  the  morning  of  the  15th, 
Thomas,  who  had  waited  long  in  spite  of  the  impatient 
orders  of  General  Grant,  moved  suddenly  in  fog  and  rain 

324 


DECEMBER 

against  Hood  whose  army  was  strongly  posted  upon  the 
hills  south  of  Nashville.  The  Confederates  resisted  des 
perately  during  two  days  of  continuous  battle,  and  then 
broke.  Their  retreat  soon  became  a  rout  through  the 
rain  soaked  country  of  southern  Tennessee,  across 
swollen  rivers  and  creeks,  into  Mississippi  where,  at  Tu 
pelo,  on  Jan.  13,  1865,  General  Hood,  having  only  a 
ragged  remnant  of  the  splendid  army  which  faced 
Thomas  at  Nashville,  asked  to  be  relieved  of  command. 
Excepting  the  Petersburg  campaign  which  ended  at  Ap- 
pomattox,  the  Battle  of  Nashville  was  the  most  disastrous 
defeat  in  a  technical  military  sense,  which  the  Confed 
eracy  suffered  in  the  Civil  War.  The  Union  loss  was  400 
killed  and  1,740  wounded.  The  total  Confederate  loss,  in 
battle  and  retreat,  was  about  15,000,  including  prisoners; 
but  the  Confederates  also  lost  thousands  who  left  the 
ranks  and  went  to  their  homes,  never  again  to  join  an 
army  against  the  United  States.  The  battle  is  also  no 
table  because  breech-loading  rifles  were  used  for  the  first 
time  by  a  large  section  of  the  Union  army,  instead  of  the 
muzzle  loaders ;  these  rifles  wrere  a  great  factor  in  the 
battle.  The  result  made  General  Thomas  a  national  hero, 
and  history  has  awarded  him  rank  among  the  Union  offi 
cers  at  least  equal  to  Sherman  as  a  commander,  and  sec 
ond  only  to  Grant. 

BOSTON  TEA  PARTY 

December  16,  1773 

The  Boston  Tea  Party,  so-called  in  that  idiomatic 
language  which  springs  from  the  genius  of  the  American 
people,  was  the  first  deliberately  militant  act  of  the 
American  Revolution.  It  marked  the  end  of  peaceful 
legalistic  opposition  of  the  Colonies  to  the  principle  as 
serted  by  King  George  III.  of  England  that  the  colonists 
might  be  taxed  by  a  legislative  or  executive  body  in 
which  they  had  not  and  could  not  have  direct  personal 
representation. 

King  George  III.  came  to  the  throne  of  England  in 
325 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

1760.  Unlike  his  two  predecessors  who  quietly  allowed 
Parliament  and  ministers  to  govern,  he  was  ambitious  to 
personally  rule  the  nation.  He  used  methods  like  those 
of  later  political  bosses  to  control  Parliament.  Corrup 
tion  and  fraud  in  the  conduct  of  elections  and  among  the 
office  holders  were  accepted  by  the  people  generally  as 
necessary  matters  of  fact.  Ancient  boroughs,  with  no 
population  at  all  but  only  the  manor  of  some  nobleman, 
sent  members  to  Parliament,  while  such  cities  as  Bir 
mingham  and  Leeds,  rapidly  growing  great,  had  no  rep 
resentation.  The  Parliament  was  practically  owned  by 
the  king  and  a  few  families  of  aristocrats.  Public  opinion, 
as  the  term  is  understood  in  our  time,  did  not  exist  in 
England  then.  There  were  no  newspapers,  and  pam 
phlets  and  books  were  scarce.  The  population  was 
largely  rural  and  ignorant,  and  this  element  was  almost 
completely  dominated  by  the  country  squires,  the 
"junker"  class,  who  were  small  minded  and  not  better 
educated  than  the  average  English  mechanic  of  to-day. 
In  the  city  of  London  and  in  a  few  other  large  cities, 
there  was  an  active  element  of  free,  outspoken  citizenry, 
composed  mostly  of  tradesmen  and  journeymen,  who 
were  quick  to  resent  the  assumption  of  new  authority 
by  the  aristocratic  class.  Aside  from  this  progressive 
citizenry,  the  mass  of  the  population  exerted  practically 
no  influence  upon  King  nor  Parliament.  Thus  it  is  plain 
that  the  people  of  England — speaking  truly  of  a  nation — 
had  nothing  to  do  with  the  quarrel  about  American  taxa 
tion  which  resulted  in  American  independence. 

The  English  treasury  had  been  drained  by  the  Seven 
Years'  War  in  Europe  and  the  French  and  Indian  War 
in  America,  both  of  which  ended  in  1763.  King  George 
needed  money.  The  people  of  England  were  taxed  to 
the  limit.  Still  more  money  was  needed,  and  the  King 
resolved  to  tax  the  American  colonists.  Parliament 
passed  the  Stamp  Act  in  1765.  The  Colonies  resisted  its 
enforcement  so  strenuously  that  it  was  repealed  in  1766. 
(See  March  19,  1766.)  But  the  King  insisted  that  he  and 

326 


DECEMBER 

his  Parliament  had  a  right  to  tax  the  Colonies,  and, 
though  the  Stamp  Act  proved  inexpedient,  it  was  good  in 
principle.  The  King  and  the  aristocratic  class  had  been 
stung  to  fury  by  the  victory  for  liberalism  in  the  repeal 
of  the  Stamp  Act.  They  resolved  to  establish  the  prin 
ciple  that  the  Colonists  must  pay  taxes  to  the  Crown, 
even  though  they  be  not  represented  in  Parliament.  In 
1767,  Parliament  passed  what  is  known  as  "the  Towns- 
hend  Acts" — so  called  because  they  were  devised  by 
Charles  Townshend,  one  of  the  King's  ministers.  They 
provided  for  customs  duties  at  American  seaports  on 
wine,  oil,  fruits,  glass,  paper,  lead,  coloring  for  paints, 
and  tea,  which  articles  were  being  shipped  from  the  con 
tinental  countries  of  Europe  to  America.  The  revenue 
thus  obtained  was  to  go  to  the  King. 

Again  the  Colonies  resisted.  But  the  King  de 
termined  that  he  would  not  be  beaten  as  he  had  been 
beaten  by  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act.  He  sent  two . 
regiments  of  troops  to  Boston,  in  Oct.  1768,  to  overawe 
the  people  of  Massachusetts,  and  to  aid  his  revenue  col 
lectors.  This  display  of  military  force  only  increased  the 
American  opposition  to  the  tax  collectors  of  the  King. 
It  led  to  the  so-called  Boston  Massacre.  (See  March  5, 
1770.)  The  revenue  collectors  failed.  The  amount  col 
lected  in  the  American  colonies  was  insignificant  during 
two  years.  The  London  merchants  and  journeymen  who 
had  suffered  much  because  of  the  stopping  of  trade  with 
the  Colonies  due  to  the  Townshend  Acts  began  to  protest 
against  the  King's  methods.  There  grew  up  in  Parlia 
ment  a  small  liberal  group  opposed  to  arbitrary  govern 
ment  by  the  King.  The  King  found  it  expedient  to  repeal 
the  Townshend  Acts — in  April,  1770 — all  except  the  duty 
on  tea.  This  tax  he  resolved  to  hold  to  the  last,  to  save 
the  pride  and  vanity  of  the  English  oligarchy,  even 
though  it  might  not  bring  a  shilling  of  revenue. 

So  the  tax  on  tea  was  allowed  to  stand,  but  it  was  a 
dead  letter  for  three  years.  The  question  was  revived  in 
the  autumn  of  1773.  The  East  India  Company,  the  fore- 

327 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

most  commercial  corporation  of  England,  had  17,000,000 
pounds  of  tea  stored  in  the  warehouses  in  England,  await 
ing  a  market.  The  Colonists,  at  this  time,  were  buying 
their  tea  mostly  from  Holland,  and  getting  it  smuggled 
into  the  Colonies.  The  English  Ministry  wanted  to  help 
the  East  India  Company.  They  devised  a  scheme  where 
by  the  Company's  tea  could  be  sold  in  the  Colonies 
cheaper  than  the  tea  smuggled  from  Holland.  The  King 
and  Ministry  also  calculated  the  opportunity  was  now 
good  to  establish  their  principle  of  taxation. 

But,  in  the  eight  years  following  the  passage  of  the 
Stamp  Act,  the  colonists  had  organized  and  had  estab 
lished  what  approximated  de  facto  government,  inde 
pendent  of  the  Crown.  Each  colony  had  established  what 
was  called  Committees  of  Correspondence.  These  Com 
mittees  were,  in  fact,  legislative  and  executive  bodies 
disguised  to  avoid  an  open  break  with  the  King's  govern 
ment.  When  the  news  of  the  new  scheme  to  send  tea  to 
the  Colonies  and  collect  the  duty  became  known  in 
America,  the  Committees  of  Correspondence  instantly 
planned  resistance;  they  held  that  the  duty  on  tea,  though 
small,  was  in  principle  a  violation  of  their  rights,  as  much 
so  as  the  Stamp  Act.  They  resolved  that  no  tea  should 
be  landed  in  America.  They  planned  to  use  only  peace 
ful,  legal  means,  up  to  the  last  extremity. 

Late  in  October,  1773,  ships  laden  with  tea  set  sail 
from  England,  bound  for  Boston,  New  York,  Phila 
delphia  and  Charleston. 

The  ship  Dartmouth,  first  of  the  tea  fleet,  arrived  in 
Boston  Harbor  on  Nov.  28.  The  Boston  Committee  of 
Correspondence  notified  Rotch,  the  captain  of  the  ship, 
that  it  would  be  "at  his  peril"  if  he  tried  to  land  the  tea. 
For  two  weeks  a  legal  battle  waged  between  the  King's 
revenue  officers  and  the  representatives  of  the  Committee 
of  Correspondence.  The  captain  of  the  Dartmouth  hav 
ing  a  wholesome  fear  of  the  Colonists,  promised  to  take 
the  tea  back  to  England.  But  the  King's  revenue  offi 
cers,  aided  by  the  King's  governor  of  the  province, 

328 


DECEMBER 

warned  him  that  he  must  land  the  tea  within  twenty 
days  after  arrival  of  the  ship,  according  to  the  customs 
law,  else  they  would  take  possession  and  land  it  them 
selves.  The  twenty  days'  time  limit  would  expire  at  the 
end  of  Dec.  16.  In  the  meantime,  two  other  ships  laden 
with  tea  arrived. 

On  Dec.  11,  the  Committee  summoned  Rotch  and 
asked  him  why  he  had  not  sailed  back  to  England.  He 
answered  that  he  could  not  go  without  a  clearance.  They 
ordered  him  to  apply  at  once  for  a  clearance.  The  cus 
toms  collector  refused  to  give  him  a  clearance  unless  the 
tea  should  be  first  landed.  Also  the  governor  stationed 
two  warships  at  the  harbor  entrance  to  prevent  the  Dart 
mouth  going  out.  Since  the  collector  of  customs  would 
not  give  a  clearance,  the  ship  could  not  get  out  exce^r 
by  special  pass  from  the  governor. 

December  16  came,  the  last  day  of  the  twenty,  and 
still  the  Dartmouth  and  the  two  other  ships  lay  at  the 
wharf.  A  great  mass  meeting  of  7,000  people  gathered 
in  the  Old  South  Meeting  House  and  the  nearby  streets, 
in  the  forenoon  of  this  day.  Governor  Hutchinson,  know 
ing  that  the  pass  would  be  demanded  of  him,  had  gone 
away  to  his  country  home  at  Milton,  thus  to  foil  the 
Committee.  But  the  Committee,  in  deadly  earnest,  or 
dered  Captain  Rotch  to  go  to  Milton  and  get  the  pass. 
Rotch  obeyed,  knowing  he  was  in  grave  peril. 

For  hours  the  meeting  awaited  his  return,  meanwhile 
discussing  plans  of  action  in  case  the  governor  refused. 
At  one  point,  John  Rowe,  a  prominent  citizen,  spoke  up, 
"Who  knows  how  tea  will  mingle  with  salt  water?" 
Quick  applause  burst  out  at  the  suggestion.  It  was  not 
the  first  time  that  many  had  heard  it.  It  is  said  that  a 
plan  to  throw  the  tea  overboard  had  been  carefully  pre 
pared,  in  every  detail,  in  the  back  room  of  the  Boston 
Gazette  newspaper,  by  a  few  of  the  leaders. 

The  day  waned,  and  darkness  came.  The  church 
was  lighted  with  candles.  They  waited,  7,000  men,  grow 
ing  silent — waited  for  the  return  of  Rotch.  Would  he 

329 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

comeback?  If  not,  what  would  they  do?  So  questioned, 
silently  for  the  most,  that  mass  waiting  in  the  shadow 
trembling  candle  light  and  in  the  moonlit  streets  outside. 
For,  rising  out  of  their  souls  with  the  passing  moments 
was  the  conviction  that  lightning  and  the  storm  was  near 
upon  them. 

The  strain  was  broken  by  a  resolution,  unanimously 
adopted,  that,  come  what  may,  the  tea  should  not  be 
landed.  An  hour  later,  about  six  o'clock,  Rotch  arrived. 
He  reported  that  the  governor  would  not  give  him  a  pass. 
There  was  a  profound  stillness.  Then  Samuel  Adams 
arose,  and  spoke  clearly : 

"This  meeting  can  do  nothing  more  to  save  the 
country !" 

*  It  was  the  signal  which  the  Sons  of  Liberty,  a  secret 
society,  awaited  and  expected.  Fifty  of  them,  disguised 
as  Indians  of  the  Narragansett  tribe,  known  only  to  the 
leaders,  had  gathered  silently  in  a  band  on  the  porch  of 
the  church.  At  the  last  syllable  of  Adams'  announce 
ment,  the  band  gave  forth  the  Indian  wir  whoop  and  in 
stantly  marched  toward  Griffin's  wharf  followed  by  thou 
sands.  In  disciplined  order  they  posted  guards,  and 
swiftly  boarded  the  three  ships.  The  moon  gave  them 
light  upon  the  decks,  and  lanterns  were  carried  in  the 
ship's  holds.  Those  on  deck  drew  their  tomahawks. 
They  spoke  a  jargon  sounding  like  the  Indian  language 
which  they  had  invented.  Each  of  them  carried  two 
pistols  to  be  used  to  the  death  if  the  ships  should  be  de 
fended  by  armed  men.  But  there  was  no  resistance.  The 
boxes  of  tea  were  lifted  from  the  holds  to  the  decks, 
smashed  open  with  tomahawks,  and  the  contents  poured 
into  the  sea  water  of  the  harbor.  A  total  of  342  chests 
were  destroyed.  When  all  was  over,  the  pseudo-Indians 
disappeared.  The  great  crowd  melted  quietly  away. 
Thus  was  accomplished  the  first  act  of  "armed  force,  de 
finitely  planned  against  King  George  and  the  English 
oligarchy,  in  the  American  Revolution.  In  the  morning 
after,  Paul  Revere  was  galloping  westward  to  New  York 

330 


DECEMBER 

and  Philadelphia  with  the  news  that  Boston  had  acted, 
and  the  drama  of  the  Revolution  was  on. 

Dec.  16  (1835)— Great  fire  in  New  York,  year  1835. 
Six  hundred  houses  in  the  heart  of  the  city  were  de 
stroyed.  The  loss  was  $20,000,000. 

Dec.  16  (1884)— World's  Industrial  and  Cotton  Cen 
tennial  Exposition  opened  at  New  Orleans,  year  1884. 
Closed  Oct.  31,  1885. 

Dec.  16  (1900)— The  Hay-Pauncefote  treaty,  drafted 
by  Secretary  of  State  John  Hay  and  British  Ambas 
sador  Lord  Pauncefote,  designed  to  be  substituted  for 
the  Clayton-Bulwer  treaty  of  1850  defining  the  relations 
of  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  in  the  matter  of 
the  Panama  or  the  Nicaraguan  Canal,  was  ratified  by  the 
United  States  Senate,  year  1900.  Ratifications  between 
the  two  governments  were  exchanged  on  Feb.  21,  1902 
and  the  treaty  was  proclaimed  Feb.  22,  1902.  (See  April 
19,  1850,  Clayton-Bulwer  Treaty.) 

Dec.   17    (1895)— President   Cleveland   sent  to   Con 
gress  his  "Venezuelan  Message,"  bearing  upon  the  quar 
rel  between  Great  Britain  and  Venezuela  over  the  boun 
dary  line  between  the  latter  country  and  British  Guiana, 
and  incidentally  involving  the  United  States  because  of 
the    Monroe    Doctrine.      The    Cleveland    administration 
suspected  that  Great  Britain  was  trying  to  extend  her  ter 
ritory  at  the  expense  of  Venezuela.     The  following  pas 
sage  in  the  message  gave  it  great  significance  at  the  time : 
"It  will,  in   my  opinion,  be  the   duty  of  the 
United  States  to  resist  by  every  means  in  its  power 
as  a  willful  aggression  upon  its  rights  and  interests 
the  appropriation  by  Great  Britain  of  any  lands  or 
the  exercise  of  governmental  jurisdiction  over  any 
territory  which  after  investigation  we  have  deter 
mined  of  right  belongs  to  Venezuela." 
The  message  caused  intense  excitement  in  all  three 
countries  and,  for  a  time,  the  countries  were  on  the  brink 
of   war.      Eventually   common   sense  prevailed,   and,   on 

331 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Feb.  2,  1897,  Great  Britain  and  Venezuela  signed,  at 
Washington,  an  arbitration  treaty.  On  Oct.  3,  1899,  the 
matter  was  settled  by  the  report  of  the  Arbitration  Trib 
unal. 

Dec.  17  (1903) — First  successful  flight  of  an  aeroplane 
carrying  a  man,  year  1903.  It  was  made  by  Willard 
Wright  of  Dayton,  O.,  at  Kittyhawk,  N.  C,  near  the  sea, 
a  lonely  section  where  he  and  his  brother  Wilbur  had 
gone  to  experiment,  far  from  the  curious  eyes  of  the 
public. 

Dec.  17  (1917) — House  of  Representatives,  by  a  vote 
of  242  to  128,  adopted  a  resolution  for  an  amendment  to 
the  Constitution  prohibiting  the  liquor  traffic,  year  1917. 
The  Senate  had  adopted  the  resolution  on  the  preceding 
Aug.  1,  by  a  vote  of  65  to  20. 

Dec.  18  (1865) — Thirteenth  amendment  to  the  Con 
stitution,  abolishing  slavery,  went  into  force,  year  1865. 
(See  Jan.  31.) 

Dec.  19  (1776)— 'The  Crisis,"  a  pamphlet  written  by 
Thomas  Paine,  which  profoundly  affected  public  opinion 
in  the  American  Colonies  early  in  the  American  Revolu 
tion,  was  first  placed  in  the  book  shops  of  Philadelphia 
for  sale,  and  in  the  hands  of  street  news  vendors  of  that 
city,  year  1776.  (See  Independence  Day,  July  4.) 

Dec.  20  (1860) — South  Carolina  seceded  from  the 
Union,  the  first  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America, 
year  1860. 

Dec.  21  (1630) — Cambridge,  Mass.,  was  founded, 
year  1630. 

Dec.  21  (1864)— Gen.  W.  T.  Sherman  and  staff  rode 
into  the  city  of  Savannah,  Ga.,  and  took  possession,  thus 
successfully  completing  what  is  known  as  the  "March  to 
the  Sea"  across  the  State  of  Georgia  in  the  Civil  War. 
Sherman's  army  of  60,000  Union  men  remained  in  en 
campments  outside  the  city.  The  Confederates  evacuated 
Savannah  the  day  before.  (See  Nov.  16.) 

332 


DECEMBER 

Dec.  21  (1866) — Indian  massacre  of  U.  S.  troops  at 
Fort  Philip  Kearney,  Wyo.,  year  1866.  Three  officers 
and  ninety  men  were  killed  and  scalped. 

Dec.  21  (1900)— The  U.  S.  Philippine  Commission 
ordered  that  all  laws  of  the  Philippine  Islands  be  printed 
in  English,  thus  making  that  language  the  official 
language.  Three  hundred  and  thirty  years  before  this 
Spain  had  captured  Manila,  thus  completing  the  conquest 
of  the  Islands  and  Spanish  had  been  the  official  language 
during  these  centuries. 

FOREFATHERS'  DAY— ANNIVERSARY  OF  THE 

LANDING  OF  THE  PILGRIMS  AT  PLYMOUTH 

December  22,  1620 

The  story  of  the  Pilgrims  properly  begins  about  the 
year  1565  when  Queen  Elizabeth  of  England,  who  had 
newly  established  the  Church  of  England,  issued  a  proc 
lamation  declaring  that  strict  conformity  to  the  tenets 
and  ritualism  of  that  church  would  be  enforced.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  militant  coercion  directed  against 
the  radical  or  democratic  Protestants  who  refused  to  join 
the  Anglican  church  established  by  the  Queen.  The  co 
ercion  had  the  effect  of  bringing  into  existence  a  religio- 
politico  party  of  protest,  composed  of  fearless,  or  fanatical 
or  extremely  progressive  Puritans  who  separated  from 
the  moderate  Puritans — as  the  first  dissenters  from  the 
Established  Church  were  called.  This  new  religious 
party  of  extremists  began  about  1580,  and  were  called 
"Brownists"  at  first  because  their  first  clergyman  was 
named  Robert  Brown.  They  themselves  adopted  the 
word  "Separatist"  to  describe  their  cult,  indicating  that 
they  had  "separated"  from  the  Church  of  England,  and 
also  had  "separated"  from  the  great  body  of  Puritan 
Protestants.  These  Separatists  were  detested  by  the 
Church  of  England,  by  the  Roman  Catholics,  and  by  the 
moderate  Puritans.  Indeed,  they  were  looked  upon  as 
pariahs  by  the  overwhelming  mass  of  the  people  of  Eng- 

333 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

land,  led,  of  course,  by  the  officers  of  the  privileged 
classes.  They  were  persecuted  during  twenty-three  years 
by  the  government  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and,  after  her 
death,  her  successor  James  I.  continued  the  persecution, 
resolved  to  bring  them  into  conformity  with  the  Estab 
lished  Church,  or  else  exterminate  them.  At  the  time 
when  King  James  succeeded  to  the  throne  in  1603,  there 
were  about  20,000  Separatists  in  England. 

At  this  time  there  lived,  at  a  little  hamlet  called 
Scrooby  in  the  county  of  Nottingham  in  the  north  of 
England,  a  young  man  of  exceptional  talent  and  educa 
tion  named  William  Brewster.  He  had  been  educated  at 
Cambridge  University  and  had  served  as  secretary  to 
William  Davidson,  Elizabeth's  Puritan  secretary  of  state. 
He  had  returned  to  his  father's  house  at  Scrooby — which 
was  an  old  inn,  with  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Eng 
lish  court  and  of  government  officialdom.  He  was  ap 
pointed,  in  1594,  postmaster  at  Scrooby,  with  a  salary 
and  fees  amounting  to  an  equivalent  of  $6,500  a  year  of 
present-day  money.  He  was  an  advanced  Puritan  and 
entirely  in  sympathy  with  the  Separatist  movement.  He 
quickly  formed  a  little  band  of  Separatists  who  lived  in 
Scrooby  and  the  neighboring  villages.  They  had  no  reg 
ular  church  organization,  but  met  at  Brewster's  inn  for 
religious  conferences.  For  nineteen  years,  in  secrecy, 
Brewster  was  the  chief  financial  supporter  of  the  Sepa 
ratist  cause  in  the  north  of  England. 

Among  those  who  joined  the  little  band  at  Scrooby, 
about  the  year  1605,  was  a  boy  of  sixteen  named  William 
Bradford,  of  good  yeoman  family  and  gentle  education, 
who,  many  years  after,  wrote  "The  History  of  Plimouth 
Plantation"  which  is  practically  the  only  record  of  the 
Pilgrim  emigration. 

At  last,  in  the  year  1608,  persecution  having  become 
so  bitter  that*they  could  no  longer  exist  as  a  community, 
the  Scrooby  band,  about  100  in  number,  escaped  to  Hol 
land  and  settled  in  the  city  of  Leyden.  Here  they  re 
mained  twelve  years,  peacefully  practising  their  religion, 

334 


DECEMBER 

yet  at  the  same  time  carrying  on  a  propaganda  for  the 
conversion  of  the  people  of  England  to  their  religious  and 
political  ideals.  William  Brewster,  officially  made  "elder" 
of  the  congregation,  was  the  leader  of  this  propaganda. 
He,  in  partnership  with  William  Brewer  who  had  con 
siderable  wealth,  established  a  printing  concern  and  pub 
lished  pamphlets  and  books  which  were  smuggled  into 
England.  Brewster  himself  set  the  type  and  operated  the 
printing  press.  Another  type  setter  was  Edward  Wins- 
low.  William  Bradford,  who  later  became  the  historian, 
practised  the  trade  of  "fustian  worker"  or  cloth  maker. 

But  the  printing  press  of  the  Leyden  congregation 
gave  great  offense  to  King  James  and  his  henchmen. 
After  a  time,  the  English  government  succeeded  in  hav 
ing  the  Dutch  government  suppress  the  press,  and  it  was 
turned  over  to  the  University  of  Leyden  together  with 
the  type,  in  1618.  At  this  time,  there  broke  out  the  poli 
tico-religious  contest  between  the  Calvinists  and  the  Ar- 
minians  of  the  Dutch  Republic.  Also  war  with  Spain 
was  imminent.  What  with  this  turmoil,  and  their  print 
ing  press  being  taken  from  them,  the  conviction  was 
forced  on  them  that  they  must  seek  another  home.  After 
a  long  debate  among  themselves,  they  resolved  to  go  to 
America.  They  addressed  a  memorial  to^King  James,  in 
1619,  praying  to  be  allowed  to  settle  in  Virginia.  The 
King  turned  their  petition  over  to  his  ecclesiastical  ad 
visers,  who  indirectly  told  the  Leyden  congregation  that 
no  "Brownists"  were  wanted  in  Virginia.  Then  they  ap 
pealed  to  the  Dutch,  asking  that  they  be  allowed  to  settle 
in  New  Netherlands  [New  York].  But  the  Dutch  feared 
to  offend  King  James  and  so  ignored  the  request.  Mean 
while,  there  had  been  organized  in  London  a  company  of 
capitalists  called  "The  Merchant  Adventurers  of  London" 
whose  purpose  was  to  colonize  America  and  receive  divi 
dends  from  the  colonists  who  were  assisted  by  the  corpo 
ration.  The  London  merchants  cared  nothing  about  the 
religious  controversy  between  the  King  and  the  Separa 
tists.  They  looked  upon  the  men  of  the  Leyden  congre- 
*  335 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

gation  as  good  material  for  colonization  purposes,  who 
would  return  rich  dividends  to  the  corporation.  The  cor 
poration  devised  a  scheme  to  get  a  patent  from  the  King 
for  the  colonization  of  the  country  which  Captain  John 
Smith — he  claimed — had  called  New  England.  Being 
men  of  influence,  the  London  Merchant  Adventurers  did 
get  the  patent,  and,  in  March,  1620,  signed  an  agreement 
with  the  representatives  of  the  congregation  at  Leyden 
by  which  the  latter  were  to  settle  in  New  England,  and 
the  corporation  was  to  finance  part  of  the  expedition. 
Brewster  was  again  the  leader  in  this  transaction,  and  he 
supervised  most  of  the  preparations  for  the  voyage.  Also, 
it  was  through  his  powerful  personal  friends  that  the 
King  finally  consented  to  let  them  go. 

They  bought,  in  Holland,  a  little  two-masted  ship  of 
60  tons,  a  "pinnace,"  which  they  named  Speedzvell  and 
which  they  intended  to  use  for  the  passage  to  England, 
and  later  in  America  for  fishing.  Also  they  hired,  at 
London,  a  larger  ship  which  was  named  Mayflower,  of 
180  tons.  She  was  approximately  97  feet  in  length  over 
all,  and  20  feet  in  width,  with  three  masts ;  her  deck  was 
open  to  the  sky  amidships,  and  had  a  covered  forecastle, 
and  a  cabin  at  the  stern  where  the  women  and  some  of 
the  irien  could  be  sheltered. 

Only  a  part  of  the  congregation — perhaps  less  than 
one  half — signified  their  willingness  to  go  in  the  first 
voyage.  When  the  time  came  to  embark  in  Holland, 
there  were  about  100  persons  ready  to  go  in  the  Speed- 
zvell,  and  twenty  more  in  England  were  to  join  them  at 
Southampton. 

The  word  "Pilgrims,"  applied  in  a  titular  way  to  the 
first  colonists  of  Plymouth,  was  first  used  in  a  written 
record  by  William  Bradford,  in  his  "History  of  Plimouth 
Plantation."  Writing  in  the  year  1630,  he  described  the 
departure  from  Holland :  "So  they  left  that  goodly  and 
pleasant  citie  [Leyden],  which  had  been  their  resting 
place  near  12  years;  but  they  .knew  they  were  PIL- 
GRIMES,  and  looked  not  much  on  those  things,  but  lift 

336  * 


DECEMBER 

up  their  eyes  to  the  heavens,  their  dearest  country,  and 
quieted  their  spirits."  It  is  probable  that  he  used  the 
term  in  the  same  way  as  St.  Paul  had  used  it  in  his 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  "These  all  died  in  faith,  not 
having  received  the  promises,  but  having  seen  them 
afar  off,  and  were  pursuaded  of  them,  and  embraced 
them,  and  confessed  that  they  were  strangers  and 
pilgrims  on  the  earth."  We  know  that  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  was  a  favorite 
in  the  church  of  Leyden.  The  word  "PILGRIMES" 
seems  to  have  been  lettered  in  capitals  by  Bradford  in 
his  manuscript.  Whether  this  was  because  he  wished 
to  merely  emphasize  the  word,  or  whether  he  had  in  mind 
that  it  might  be  used  as  a  term  to  distinctly  identify  the 
congregation  of  Leyden,  we  do  not  know.  There  is  no 
other  evidence  to  show  that  they  were  called  "Pilgrims," 
either  by  themselves  or  others.  Certainly  the  general 
public  of  England  continued  to  call  them  "Brownists," 
"Separatists,"  "Independents,"  but  not  "Pilgrims."  It 
was  not  until  a  hundred  years  after  the  landing  at  Ply 
mouth  that  the  title  "Pilgrims"  was  generally  used  in 
referring  to  them. 

Early  in  August,  1620,  they  sailed  in  the  Speedwell 
from  Delfshaven,  Holland,  across  the  North  Sea  and 
through  the  English  Channel,  to  Southampton,  where 
they  found  the  Mayflower  awaiting  them  with  the  rest  of 
the  company.  Of  those  who  joined  them  at  Southamp 
ton,  one  was  named  John  Alden,  a  cooper,  who  was  hired 
to  take  care  of  the  barrels  and  casks  on  board.  The  law 
compelled  them  to  take  a  cooper  with  them.  Alden  not 
being  one  of  the  Pilgrims,  but  only  a  hired  man,  was  l^ft 
to  his  own  liking,  whether  to  remain  in  America  as  a 
colonist  or  return  with  the  ship  to  England.  He  met,  at 
Southampton,  Priscilla  Mullins,  the  young  daughter  of 
William  Mullins  of  the  Leyden  Church,  and  the  meeting 
gave  to  America  its  earliest  historic  love  story. 

On  Aug.  16,  the  two  ships  Mayflower  and  Speedwell 
put  to  sea,  with  about  120  colonists,  and  sailed  westward. 

337 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

After  seventy  miles,  the  Speedwell  began  to  leak,  so  they 
put  into  the  port  of  Dartmouth,  where  the  smaller  ship 
was  repaired,  and  again  they  sailed  westward.  But  when 
they  were  out  in  the  ocean  westward  of  Ireland,  the 
master  of  the  Speedwell  complained  again  that  his  ship 
was  unseaworthy,  so  they  put  back  and  entered  the  har 
bor  of  Plymouth  in  the  south  of  England.  Here  they 
decided  to  abandon  the  Speedwell  and  all  go  in  the  May 
flower,  But  all  could  not  find  quarters  in  the  Mayflower, 
so  those  who  were  most  discouraged,  some  twenty  in 
number,  were  put  ashore  at  Plymouth  and  remained.  At 
last,  on  Sept.  16,  1620,  the  Mayflower  put  out  from  Ply 
mouth  harbor,  with  102  persons  exclusive  of  the  sailor 
crew  and  officers. 

William  Bradford  has  written  the  only  authoritative 
account  of  the  voyage  of  the  Mayflower.  He  put  it  all  in 
about  750  words — a  little  more  than  would  fill  the  space 
of  one  half  column  of  a  standard  size  newspaper.  We 
feel  a  hunger,  when  reading  ^  Bradford,  to  know  more 
of  the  romance  and  awe  and  comedy  and  tragedy  of 
this  amazing  voyage.  He  tells  us  that  they  enjoyed 
fair  winds  and  weather  "for  a  season,"  and  then  encoun 
tered  cross  winds  and  many  fierce  storms  which  shook 
the  ship.  Of  incidents  that  make  the  web  of  history  we 
have  but  a  starveling  few.  The  sailors  muttered  and 
were  for  returning  to  England.  A  beam  of  the  ship 
buckled  and  was  braced  back  into  place  with  "a  great  iron 
scru" — in  fact  a  jack-screw  which  one  of  the  passengers 
had  brought  from  Holland.  A  swearing  young  sailor 
who  laughed  and  sneered  at  them  died,  "Thus  his  curses 
light  on  his  own  head ;  and  it  was  astonishment  to  all  his 
fellows,  for  they  noted  it  to  be  the  just  hand  of  GOD 
upon  him" ;  John  Howland,  a  lusty  young  man,  fell  over 
board  and  was  providentially  hauled  back  on  board.  Not 
until  the  end  of  his  book,  when  making  a  list  of  the  pas 
sengers,  did  Bradford  think  to  mention  that  a  son  was 
born  to  Giles  Hopkins  and  his  wife  Constantia,  in  the 
Mayflower  at  sea,  and  this  child  was  named  Oceanus 

338 


DECEMBER 

Hopkins.     He  concludes  his  account  of  the  voyage  with 
these  words : 

"In  all  this  viage,  ther  died  but  one  of  the  pas 
sengers,  which  was  William  Butten,  a  youth,  serv 
ant  to  Samuel  Fuller,  when  they  drew  near  the 
coast.  But  to  omite  other  things,  that  I  may  be 
breefe,  after  long  beating  at  sea  they  fell  with  that 
land  which  is  called  Cape  Cod ;  the  which  being 
made  and  certainly  known  to  be  it,  they  were  not 
a  little  joyful." 

The  landfall  of  Cape  Cod  was  made  on  Nov.  19,  1620. 
After  a  consultation,  they  bore  away  to  the  southward, 
intending  to  sail  farther  west  to  the  Hudson  River,  but 
they  got  among  shoals  and  breakers  and  thought  them 
selves  in  great  danger,  so  they  turned  back  ttfcCape  Cod, 
and,  Nov.  21,  the  M ay flower  rounded  the  northernmost 
point  of  the  Cape  and  dropped  anchor  in  what  is  now 
Cape  Cod  Harbor,  at  Provincetown. 

The  distance,  as  a  steamship  makes  the  course,  from 
Plymouth,  England,  to  Cape  Cod  Harbor  is  2,750  knots 
or  geographical  miles.  Counting  the  day  of  departure 
and  the  day  of  arrival,  the  voyage  of  the  Mayflower 
was  of  sixty-seven  days'  duration.  Compare  this  with 
the  first  voyage  of  Columbus,  which,  for  nearly  the  same 
distance,  from  Onary  Islands  to  San  Salvador,  took 
thirty-five  days. 

Now,  winter  being  nearly  upon  them,  and  the  master 
of  the  ship  being  impatient  to  sail  back  to  England,  the 
Pilgrim  leaders  resolved  to  find  a  place  of  habitation  as 
quickly  as  possible,  on  the  land  of  Cape  Cod  or  near  it. 
But  first  of  all  they  wisely  organized  a  government  for 
their  colony.  On  the  very  day  when  the  Mayflower 
anchored,  they  drew  up  and  signed  the  famous  paper 
known  as  "The  Cape  Cod  Compact,"  a  short  constitution 
providing  a  form  of  government.  The  authors  of  this 
priceless  document  were  probably  Brewster,  Bradford, 
Winslow  and  Carver.  Immediately  after  signing  it,  they 
chose  John  Carver  as  governor  for  one  year. 

339 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

Next  day  they  began  the  exploration  of  the  inside 
coast  of  Cape  Cod.  The  manner  in  which  they  went 
ashore  and  scoured  the  land  of  Cape  Cod  for  a  whole 
month,  seeking  a  proper  place  to  land  and  build  houses, 
is  vividly  told  in  "Mourt's  Relation  or  Journal."  The 
exploring  party  used  a  small  boat,  or  "shallop,"  which 
they  rowed  and  sailed  along  the  coast.  In  the  third 
voyage  of  this  shallop,  there  were  in  the  boat  the  follow 
ing  named  men :  Captain  Myles  Standish,  Governor 
Carver,  William  Bradford,  Edward  Winslow,  John  Til- 
ley,  Edward  Tilley,  John  Rowland,  Richard  Warren, 
Stephan  Hopkins  and  Edward  Dotey — all  of  the  Pilgrim 
company,  and  two  sailors  in  their  employ  named  John 
Allerton  and  Thomas  English;  also  there  were  of  the 
regular  A&y  flower  seamen,  two  of  the  master's  mates 
named  Master  John  Clarke  and  Master  Robert  Coppin, 
and  the  Master  Gunner  of  the  ship,  and  three  other  sailors 
whose  names  are  unknown — a  total  of  eighteen  men  in 
the  shallop. 

On  Monday,  Dec.  22,  the  shallop  entered  the  water 
which  they  later  called  Plymouth  Bay.  In  Mourt's  Rela 
tion  the  story  of  the  landing  is  told  in  these  little  para 
graphs  : 

"We  sounded  the  harbor;  and  found  it  a  very 
good  harbor  for  our  shipping.  We  march  also  into 
the  land;  and  found  divers  corn  fields  and  little 
running  brooks.  A  place  very  good  for  situation. 
"So  we  returned  to  our  ship  again,  with  good 
news  to  the  rest  of  our  people;  which  did  much 
comfort  their  hearts." 

This  is  all  we  have,  of  authoritative  written  record, 
to  prove  the  landing  at  Plymouth.  The  story  of  the  large 
flat  boulder  rising  above  the  water's  edge  at  the  foot  of  a 
hill,  which  is  known  to  all  the  world  as  Plymouth  Rock, 
upon  which  stepped  the  men  of  the  Mayflower's  shallop 
when  they  came  ashore  at  Plymouth,  is  entirely  one  of 
tradition.  In  all  likelihood  it  is  a  true  story.  But  the 
present  written  record  of  Plymouth  Rock  dates  from  the 

340 


DECEMBER 

year  1741,  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  years  after  the 
landing,  when  Thomas  Faunce,  the  son  of  Elder  Thomas 
Faunce  who  came  to  Plymouth  in  1623,  came  back  to 
Plymouth,  and  before  many  witnesses,  identified  the 
Rock  about  which  he  had  played  throughout  all  his  boy 
hood  days,  and  he  told  the  story  as  it  had  been  told  to 
him  by  his  father  and  others  of  that  immortal  company 
who  had  landed  there  on  Dec.  22,  1620,  the  day  which 
shall  be  known  as  Forefathers'  Day  while  civilization 
lasts  in  the  First  Republic  of  the  Western  World. 

Dec.  22  (1781) — Marquis  de  Lafayette,  following  the 
surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown,  and  after  four  and 
a  half  years  of  service  in  the  American  army  under  Wash 
ington,  sailed  from  Boston  in  the  U.  S.  S.  Alliance,  return 
ing  to  his  native  land,  year  1781. 

Dec.  22  (1807) — Congress  passed  an  Embargo  Act 
prohibiting  all  foreign  commerce,  forbidding  vessels  to 
sail  from  American  ports,  year  1807.  It  was  directed 
against  both  England  and  France.  It  was  repealed  on 
March  1,  1809.  On  Jan.  9,  1808,  a  second  and  more 
stringent  act  was  passed.  This  was  commonly  and  satiri 
cally  called  the  "O  Grab  Me"  Act— spelling  "Embargo" 
backward. 

Dec.  23  (1862)— President  Jefferson  Davis  of  the 
Confederacy  proclaimed  Gen.  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  the 
Union  commander  whose  force  had  captured  New  Or 
leans  (May  1,  1862),  "an  outlaw  and  common  enemy  of 
mankind,"  and  directed  that  if  captured  he  "be  imme 
diately  executed  by  hanging,"  year  1862.  This  extraor 
dinary  proclamation,  the  only  one  of  its  kind  during  the 
Civil  War,  was  the  outcome  of  the  frenzied  bitterness 
among  the  Southern  leaders  caused  by  Butler's  restric 
tive  methods  in  the  military  government  of  New  Orleans 
and  other  captured  districts  of  Louisiana.  The  most 
famous  (or  "infamous,"  as  the  Southern  people  charac 
terized  it)  of  his  measures  was  "General  Order  No.  28," 
issued  May  18,  1862.  This  was  directed  against  the 

341 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

women  of  New  Orleans.  Butler  had  a  total  of  2,500 
Union  men,  holding  a  city  of  150,000  population  bitterly 
hostile  to  him  and  his  soldiers.  The  women  especially 
showed  exaggerated  scorn  of  the  Northern  soldiers.  But 
ler's  order  read,  in  part : 

"As  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  United  States 
have  been  subject  to  repeated  insults  from  the  women 
(calling  themselves  ladies)  in  return  for  the  most  scru 
pulous  non-interference  and  courtesy  on  our  part,  it  is 
ordered  that  hereafter  when  any  female  shall,  by  word, 
gesture,  or  movement,  insult  or  show  contempt  for  any 
officer  or  soldier  of  the  United  States,  she  shall  be  re 
garded  and  held  liable  to  be  treated  as  a  woman" — of  no 
.character. 

To  an  intensely  sensitive  people  like  those  of  New 
Orleans,  this  was  a  mortal  insult,  and  was  so  regarded 
by  all  the  Southern  leaders.  General  Butler  was  the  only 
man  identified  with  the  Union  cause  who  committed  an 
unpardonable  crime,  according  to  the  code  of  the  South. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  will  force,  and  he  wrote  to  the 
mayor  of  New  Orleans,  saying: 

"There  can  be  no  room  for  misunderstanding  of 
Gen.  Order  No.  28.  No  lady  will  take  any  notice  of  a 
strange  gentleman,  and  a  fortiori  of  a  stranger,  in  such 
form  as  to  attract  attention.  If  obeyed,  it  will  protect 
the  true  and  modest  woman  from  all  insult." 

Butler  asserted  that  the  order  effectively  stopped  the 
flouting  of  his  men.  Luckily  for  him,  he  was  not  cap 
tured  by  the  Confederates,  but  served  in  high  command 
until  the  end  of  the  war,  well  trusted  by  Lincoln  and 
Grant.  No  single  incident  of  the  Civil  War  aroused  such 
widespread  passionate  resentment  in  the  South  as  this 
New  Orleans  affair,  and  the  name  of  "Ben  Butler"  is  still 
anathema  in  Louisiana. 

Dec.  24  (1814)— Treaty  of  Ghent  (Belgium)  between 
the  United  States  and  England,  ending  the  War  of  1812, 
was  signed,  year  1814.  The  American  commissioners 

342 


DECEMBER 

who  signed  it  were  John  Quincy  Adams,  Albert  Gallatin, 
James  A.  Bayard,  Henry  Clay  and  Jonathan  Russell.  By 
this  treaty  the  northern  boundary  of  the  United  States, 
excepting  at  the  Pacific  northwest,  was  permanently  es 
tablished.  Curiously,  the  treaty  was  silent  on  the  ques 
tions  which  had  caused  the  war,  viz.,  the  impressment  of 
seamen  and  the  searching  of  merchant  ships  at  sea.  But 
these  questions  had  been  settled,  in  effect,  by  the  defeat 
of  Napoleon  and  the  pacification  of  Europe  in  1813. 

Dec.  25  (1867) — General  amnesty  and  pardon  for  all 
acts  against  the  United  States  during  the  Civil  War  was 
proclaimed  by  President  Johnson,  year  1867. 

Dec.  26  (1776)— Battle  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  year  1776. 
General  Washington  (American,  2,000  men)  vs.  Col.  Jo- 
han  Gotlieb  Rail  (Hessian,  1,500  men).  A  complete 
American  victory.  Immediately  after  the  White  Plains 
campaign  of  the  Revolutionary  War  (1776)  Washing-ton 
retreated  to  New  Jersey,  followed  by  the  British  under 
Howe.  Washington's  army  of  13,000  was  soon  reduced 
to  6,000  because  of  short  term  enlistments.  Also,  at  this 
time,  traitors  and  intriguers  like  General  Lee  and  Gen 
eral  Gates  sought  by  villainous  means  to  have  him  re 
moved  from  command ;  they  gave  him  no  aid  in  this  crit 
ical  time,  and  so  the  British  easily  overran  all  of  New 
Jersey  and  openly  asserted  that  the  war  was  practically 
ended  and  American  independence  quashed.  They  estab 
lished  posts  at  Trenton,  Pennington,  Bordentown  and 
Burlington,  intending,  at  their  leisure,  to  cross  into  Penn 
sylvania  and  capture  Philadelphia.  Washington  had  re 
treated  across  the  Delaware  River  to  protect  Phila 
delphia.  To  arouse  the  new  nation  from  its  depression, 
he  planned  an  extraordinary  movement.  Knowing  the 
character  of  the  Hessian  troops  in  the  service  of  Eng 
land,  and  believing  that  the  garrison  qf  Trenton,  1,250 
men,  would  celebrate  Christmas  in  their  accustomed  man 
ner,  eating  and  drinking  and  carousing,  and  thus  render 
themselves  unfit  to  fight  if  surprised,  he  silently  crossed 

343 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

the  Delaware  River  in  boats  after  midnight  of  Christmas 
night,  the  coldest  night  of  that  year,  with  2,000  men,  and 
at  early  morning  fell  upon  the  debauched  Hessians  from 
all  sides.  The  battle  lasted  thirty-five  minutes.  Colonel 
Rail  was  mortally  wrounded.  Seventeen  Hessians  were 
killed,  seventy-eight  wounded,  and  946  were  taken  pris 
oners.  Only  292  escaped.  Marvellously,  not  a  single 
American  was  killed  or  wounded !  The  Americans  cap 
tured  1,200  muskets  and  six  brass  cannon  of  which  they 
were  in  sore  need.  This  victory  electrified  America, 
changed  the  whole  current  of  war,  and  was  a  vital  factor 
in  securing  American  independence. 

Dec.  26  (1837) — George  Dewey,  admiral  of  the  U.  S. 
Navy,  born  at  Montpelier,  Vt.,  year  1837 ;  died  at  Wash 
ington,  D.  C,  Jan.  16,  1917.  (See  Battle  of  Manila  Bay, 
May  1.) 

Dec.  27  (1832)— John  C.  Calhoun,  Vice-President  of 
the  United  States  in  the  first  administration  of  President 
Jackson,  resigned,  year  1832.  This  is  the  only  resigna 
tion  of  the  office  in  our  history.  He  was  at  variance  with 
the  policies  of  President  Jackson. 

Dec.  28  (1810) — Machine  for  making  wrought  iron 
nails,  patented  by  the  inventor,  Seth  Boyden  of  Foxboro, 
Mass.,  year  1810.  Prior  to  this  invention,  nails  had  been 
made  by  hand,  with  forge  and  hammer. 

Dec.  28  (1835)— Gen.  Alexander  R.  Thompson,  sent 
by  President  Jackson  to  insist  on  the  execution  of  the 
treaty  of  1834  with  the  Seminole  Indians,  was  massacred 
with  others  of  his  force,  by  a  party  of  Seminoles  under 
Chief  Osceola,  at  Fort  King,  60  miles  southwest  of  St. 
Augustine,  Fla.,  year  1835.  This  was  the  beginning  of 
the  Seminole  War  which  lasted  seven  years. 

,     Dec.  28  (1846) — Iowa  was  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1846. 

Dec.  28  (1856)— Woodrow  Wilson  (Thomas  Wood- 
row  Wilson),  twenty-eighth  President  of  the  United 
States,  born  at  Staunton,  Va.,  year  1856.  Graduated  from 

344 


DECEMBER 

Princeton  University  in  1879.  Practised  law  at  Atlanta, 
Ga.,  for  one  year,  1882-1883.  He  then  devoted  himself  to 
historical  research,  jurisprudence  and  political  science. 
Was  chosen  president  of  Princeton  University  in  1902, 
being  the  first  layman  (non-clerical)  to  hold  the  place. 
Was  elected  Governor  of  New  Jersey  in  1910.  Nomi 
nated  by  the  Democratic  party  for  President  in  1912  and 
elected.  Electoral  vote  (48  States)  :  Wilson,  435 ;  Roose 
velt  (Progressive),  88;  Taft  (Republican),  8.  Inaugu 
rated  March  4,  1913.  The  chief  events  of  his  first  admin 
istration  were :  Agreement^with  the  United  States  of  Co 
lombia  concerning  recognition  of  the  independence  of  the 
Republic  of  Panama,  the  United  States  of  America  to  pay 
$25,000,000  to  Colombia  (1914);  opening  of  the  Panama 
Canal  (1914)  ;  Panama-Pacific  Exposition  at  San  Fran 
cisco  (1915)  ;  sinking  of  the  Lusitania  (May  7,  1915)  and 
consequent  diplomatic  controversy  with  Germany  over 
the  main  question  of  submarine  warfare ;  quasi-war  with 
Mexican  bandits  led  by  Villa  which  involved  a  diplomatic 
contest  with  the  de  facto  Mexican  government  headed  by 
Carranza  (1916).  Was  renominated  by  the  Democratic 
party  for  President  in  1916  and  reelected.  Popular  vote 
(48  States):  Wilson,  9,129,269;  Charles  E.  Hughes  (Re 
publican),  8,547,328;  Allan  J.  Benson  (Socialist),  590,579. 
Electoral  vote:  Wilson,  277;SHughes,  254.  Was  inaugu 
rated  for  the  second  term  on  March  5,  1917. 

Prior  to  his  election  as  President  of  the  United 
States,  he  wrote  eleven  books — essays,  biographies,  and 
histories.  His  best  known  literary  work  is  the  "History 
of  the  American  People"  (published  in  1912  in  five  vol 
umes),  an  accomplishment  which  would  have  entitled 
him  to  very  high  rank  in  literature  and  the  science  of  gov 
ernment  even  had  he  not  written,  later,  the  State  papers 
which  influenced  the  thought  of  the  whole  civilized  world. 

Dec.  28  (1890)— Battle  of  Wounded  Knee,  S.  D.,  year 
1890.  Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles  (900  men  U.  S.  cavalry)  vs. 
3,000  Sioux  Indians  commanded  by  Chief  Big  Foot.  Of 

345 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

the  Indians,  200  were  killed  and  many  wounded.  They 
fled,  and  next  day,  near  White  Clay  Creek  made  another 
stand,  and  were  again  dispersed  with  heavy  loss  to  them, 
while  eight  U.  S.  soldiers  were  killed.  A  few  skirmishes 
occurred  during  the  succeeding  two  weeks.  On  Jan.  21, 
1891,  the  Indians  surrendered,  and  thus  ended  the  last 
Indian  war. 

Dec.  28  (1917) — At  noon  of  Friday,  this  date,  year 
1917,  the  United  States  Government  took  possession  and 
assumed  control  of  the  railroads  of  the  country.  The  act 
was  accomplished  by  a  proclamation  of  President  Wilson 
who  had  been  authorized  to  do  so  under  various  acts  of 
Congress.  (See  Aug.  29,  1916;  April,  6,  1917,  and  Dec. 
7,  1917.) 

Dec.  29  (1808) — Andrew  Johnson,  seventeenth  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  born  at  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  year 
1808;  died  at  Carter's  Depot,  Tenn.,  July  31,  1875.  Nomi 
nated  for  Vice-President  by  the  Republican  party  in  1864 
and  elected  (on  the  ticket  with  Abraham  Lincoln).  On  the 
death  of  Lincoln,  April  15,  1865,  he  became  President  and 
served  3  years,  10  months  and  20  days.  As  a  result  of  po 
litical  antagonism,  »he  was  accused  of  a  series  of  mis 
demeanors  in  office,  was  impeached  and  tried  before  the 
Senate  and  Supreme  Court.  The  trial  lasted  from  March 
30,  1868,  to  May  26  following.  Johnson  was  acquitted  by  a 
vote  of  35  to  19.  James  G.  Elaine,  in  "Twenty  Years  in 
Congress,"  wrote :  "The  sober  reflection  of  later  years  has 
persuaded  many  who  favored  impeachment  that  it  was 
not  justifiable  on  the  charges  made."  This  is  the  only 
impeachment  of  a  President  in  the  history  of  the  United 
States.  The  other  chief  events  of  his  administration  were 
the  Reconstruction  Acts,  providing  for  government  of  the 
seceded  Southern  States  (1867)  and  the  purchase  of 
Alaska  (1867). 

Dec.  29  (1845) — Texas  was  admitted  into  the  Union, 
year  1845. 

Dec.  30  (1760) — King  George  III.  succeeded  to  the 
346 


DECEMBER 

throne  of  England,  year  1760.     (See  Boston  Tea  Party, 
Dec.  16.) 

Dec.  30  (1853) — Treaty  for  the  Gadsden  Purchase, 
signed,  year  1853.  It  is  so  called  because  Gen.  James 
Gadsden,  U.  S.  Minister  to  Mexico,  negotiated  the  pur 
chase  by  the  United  States  from  Mexico  of  a  strip  of  land 
500  miles  long  and  120  miles  wide  at  its  widest,  including 
an  area  of  45,535  square  miles,  now  forming  part  of  Ari 
zona  and  New  Mexico.  The  purchase  price  was 
$10,000,000. 

Dec.  31  (1775) — Assault  on  Quebec  and  death  of 
Montgomery,  year  1775.  This  was  the  climax  of  the 
American  invasion  of  Canada  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
Gen.  Richard  Montgomery  commanded  the  little  army  of 
1,000  Americans  and  200  Canadians.  His  chief  officer  was 
Col.  Benedict  Arnold.  The  enlistment  term  of  the  New 
England  men  would  expire  on  Dec.  31,  and  after  that 
Montgomery's  army  would  be  so  reduced  in  numbers 
that  a  successful  attack  on  Quebec  would  be  altogether 
hopeless.  The  city  was  defended  by  1,800  British  reg 
ulars,  Anglo-Canadians  and  French-Canadians,  com 
manded  by  Gen.  Sir  Guy  Carleton.  Montgomery  resolved 
upon  the  desperate  adventure  of  an  assault  before  the 
New  England  men  left  his  army.  He  divided  his  force  in 
two,  giving  Arnold  command  of  one  part.  He  hoped  to 
surprise  the  garrison,  and  so,  in  a  blinding  snowstorm, 
at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  on  the  last  day  of  the  year, 
the  two  divisions  moved  against  different  sides  of  the 
fortress,  up  the  rocky  heights,  by  narrow  paths,  obliged 
to  go  Indian  file.  But  the  garrison  was  alert  and  the 
Americans  were  seen  when  they  reached  the  open  in  front 
of  the  barriers.  Montgomery,  at  the  head  of  his  column, 
with  only  sixty  men  near  him,  cried,  "Men  of  New  York, 
you  will  not  fear  to  follow  where  your  general  leads ! 
Push  on,  brave  boys!  Quebec  is  ours!"  He  rushed  for 
ward.  It  was  heroic  madness  !  A  British  battery  belched 
grape  shot  when  the  little  band  of  heroes  was  almost  up- 

347 


AMERICAN  ANNIVERSARIES 

on  the  guns.  Montgomery  fell  dead,  and  ten  of  his  fol 
lowers.  The  others  had  no  heart  left  and  retreated. 
Meanwhile,  on  the  other  side  of  the  town,  Arnold  and  his 
men  had  plunged  headlong  in  the  blizzard  and  had  car 
ried  the  first  barricade  where  Arnold  was  wounded  in  the 
leg  and  had  to  be  carried  off.  Captain  Daniel  Morgan 
assumed  the  command  and  his  men  pressed  forward, 
through  the  barricades  right  into  the  city.  But  in  the 
darkness,  they  knew  not  where  to  go.  They  were  sur 
rounded  and  after  a  resistance  of  four  hours,  they  sur 
rendered.  The  American  loss  was  sixty  killed  and 
wounded  and  350  prisoners.  The  British  loss  was  very 
small.  Montgomery's  exploits  had  made  him  famous 
even  in  Europe.  His  death  immortalized  him.  No 
normal  American  can  read  the  story  of  Quebec  without 
feeling  the  thrill  of  pride  and  tears. 

His  body  was  buried  at  Quebec.  After  forty-two 
years,  in  1818,  the  remains  were  moved  to  New  York  and 
placed  in  St.  Paul's  Chapel,  a  few  feet  from  Broadway, 
where  hundreds  of  thousands  each  day  may  look  upon 
the  tablet  which  the  State  of  New  York  erected  to  his 
memory. 

HISTORY  AND  DEMOCRACY 

From  the   Introduction  to  "Democracy   in  America"   (French) 
By  De  Tocqueville, 

American  translation  published  in  1838 

"In  perusing  the  pages  of  our  history,  we  shall  scarcely 
meet  a  single  great  event,  in  the  lapse  of  seven  hundred 
years,  which  has  not  turned  to  the  advantage  of  equality. 
*  *  *  The  various  occurrences  of  national  existence  have 
everywhere  turned  to  the  advantage  of  democracy;  all 
men  have  aided  it  by  their  exertions :  those  who  have  in 
tentionally  labored  in  its  cause,  and  those  who  have  served 
it  unwittingly;  those  who  have  fought  for  it,  and  those 
who  have  declared  themselves  its  opponents,— have  all  been 
driven  along  the  same  track,  have  all  labored  to  one  end, 

348 


DECEMBER 

m 

some  ignorantly  and  some  unwillingly ;  all  have  been  blind 
instruments  in  the  hands  of  God.  *  *  *  It  is  not  necessary 
that  God  Himself  should  speak  in  order  to  disclose  to  us 
the  unquestionable  signs  of  His  will;  we  can  discern  them 
in  the  habitual  course  of  nature,  and  in  the  invariable  ten 
dency  of  events.  *  *  *  If  the  men  of  our  time  were  led  by 
attentive  observation  and  by  sincere  reflection,  to  acknowl 
edge  that  the  gradual  and  progressive  development  of  social 
equality  is  at  once  the  past  and  future  of  their  history,  this 
solitary  truth  would  confer  the  sacred  character  of  a  divine 
decree  upon  the  change.  To  attempt  to  check  democracy 
would  be  in  that  case  to  resist  the  will  of  God." 


34V 


INDEX 


"Abolitionists" 237 

Abolition   Party 278 

Acadia 69,    177,  178 

Adams,  John,  283,  4,  28,  45,  109, 

124,    158,   206,   210,   242,   284, 

320 
Adams,    John    Quincy,    167,    43, 

52,  53,  88,  343 

Adams,  Samuel. ..  .78,  210,  283,  284 

Aero  mail  service. . . .'.' 102 

Agriculture,  Dept.  of. 201 

Aguinaldo,  Emilio    57 

Air  brake,  first  patent  for 74 

Airplane 96,  332 

Aix-la-Chapelle,   treaty   of 269 

Alabama   Claims    66,  87 

Alabama,  C.   S.   S.  cruiser.  .  .66,  132 

Alabama,  State  of 69,  84,  324 

Alamo,   massacre   of 45 

Alaska 60,  270,  316 

Alden,  John    337 

Alexander,  Adam Ill 

Algiers,   war  declared  against..  41 

Alien  and  Sedition  Acts.... 131,  285 

Allen,  Ethan 5,   100,  208,  242 

Allen,  Horatio    182 

Allerton,  John 340 

Alsop,  John 161 

Altgeld,  John   P 165 

"America   Cup"    197 

America,   discovery   of 259 

"American   Association,"    The..  277 

American,  Baltimore  newspaper.  229 
American  Daily  Advertiser,  first 

issue    236 

"American,"  first  used  as  name.  209 

American   Tobacco    Company...  232 

Amherst,  Jeffrey    176 

Amity  vs.  Margaretta,  battle 121 

Ampudia,  Pedro  de 242 

Anacreonic  Society  of  London.  .  230 

Anderson,   Robert    70 

Andre,  John 241,  245 

Andrews,    Samuel    5 

Andros,    Edmund 138,194 

Ann,   ship    23 

Antietam,   battle   of 235,  239 

Apia,  hurricane  at 52 

Apppmattox,  surrender  at 67 

Arbitration  Tribunal 332 

Arbor  Day 88 

Arctic   Expedition    135 

Arctic,  sinking  of  steamship 244 

Arista,  Mariano    98 

Arista's  report    99 

Arizona,  State  of...  19,  27,  126,  289 

"Arkansas   Company"   223 

Arkansas,   State  of 126. 

Armstrong,  James   4 

Army,    ministerial    208 

Army  of  U.   S.,  peace  footing..  169 

Army,  provincial    208 

Arnold,  Benedict,  241,  252,  253, 

255,  347 


Arnold,  Samuel    230 

Arthur,  Chester  A 247 

Atlanta,  battle  of 206 

Atlanta,  capture  of 205 

Atlantic  Cable 139,   168,  191 

Automobiles,  gasolene,  patent  is 
sued 232 

Avery,  John 285 


"Bacon's  Rebellion"    . 81 

Bailey,  Gamaliel 118 

Balboa,  Vasco  Nunez  de 243 

Ball,   William 29 

Baltic,  transport 70 

Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad...  36 

Baltimore,   Lord    59,  292 

Baltimore,    U.    S.    warship,    91, 
198,  268 

Bancroft,  George 245,  212,  259 

Bankers'  Association,  The  Amer 
ican   107 

Bank  of  New  York 56 

Bank  of  Pennsylvania 39 

Bank  of  the  United  States 35 

Barclay,   Robert  Heriot 217 

Barker,    Elizabeth    101 

Barnum,  Phincas  Taylor 164 

Barras,    Count    Louis    de,    211, 
212,  275 

Barre,   Isaac    285 

Bartholdi,     Frederick     Auguste, 

French  sculptor    283 

Barton,  Clara    105 

Barton,    Stephen    105 

Baseball  club,  first  in  America.  .  241 

Bass,  Henry    285 

Bates,  Edward    238 

Battles  in  city  streets 242 

Baum,  Friedrich 252 

Bayard,  James  A 343 

Bayard,  Nicholas   268 

Bazaine,  Marshal   50 

Beane,   William    226 

Beauregard,  P.  G.  T 65,  70,  171 

"Beauvoir,"  Miss 117 

Bee,   Bernard   E 174 

Beecher,  Lyman 122 

"Beggar's    Opera,"    317 

Bell,  Alexander   Graham 26 

Bell,  John    25 

Bemis  Heights,  battle  of 249,  254 

Bennington,  battle   of 187,  252 

Benson,  Allan  J 345 

Bergh,  Henry 69 

Bering  Sea  controversy.  ..  .186,  194 

Berkeley,  Gov 81 

"Berlin  Decree" 303 

Berlins,  Widow   230 

Bernstorff,  Count  Johann  von..  20 

Bible   Society,  American 99 

Big  Bethel,  battle  of 120 

Big  Black  River,  battle  of 163 

Binns,  Jack 13 


INDEX 


Birney,   James    G 22 

Bishop,    Henry    Rowley 292 

"Bivouac  of  the  Dead" 171 

"Black   Friday"    242 

Black  Hawk  War 24,  52 

Elaine,  James   Gillespie,    16,   54, 
105,  245,  346 

Blair,  Francis  P 11 

Blair,   Montgomery    177 

"Bloody   Angle"    100 

Bombardment,  first  great  naval.   227 

Bonaparte,  Napoleon   189,  245 

Bonhomme,  Richard,  vs.  Serapis, 

battle 240 

Bonnie  Blue  Flag,  The 4 

Boone,  Daniel   23,  119 

Boot  and  shoe  industry 88 

Booth,    Edwin    292,  75 

Booth,  John  Wilkes 75 

Booth,  junius  Brutus 75 

Bordunix,  Confederate  soldier.  .    106 
Boston  evacuated  by  British....      53 

Boston   fire 291 

Boston  massacre 44,  327 

Boston  News  Letter 83 

Boston    settled    214 

Boston   Tea   Party 78,  325 

Boston,  U.   S.  warship 91 

Boucicault,   Dion    28 

Boudinot,  Elias 99 

Bowdoin,  James 209 

Bowie,  James    46 

Boy  den,  Seth 49,  344 

Braddock,  Edward 165 

Bradford,     William,     308,     334, 

339,  340 

Bragg,  Braxton    1,  257,  306 

Brandywine,  battle   of ...30,  221 

Brant,     Joseph      ("Thayendane- 

grea,"   Indian  chief) 291 

Breckenridge,  J.  C '.'  25 

Breda,  treaty  of 178 

Brewster,  William    334,  339 

Breyman,   Col 252 

Bridge,    N.     Y.    and    Brooklyn, 

opening  of 108 

British  American  Colonies 210 

British   "Orders   in   Council"...   289 

Broke,  Philip 113 

Brooklyn,  U.  S.  warship 156,   164 

Brooks,  Senator   . . . 6 

"Brother  Jonathan"    266 

Brown,  Jacob    176 

Brown,  John 99,  82,  268,  317 

Brown,  Robert   56 

"Brownists" 335 

Bryan,  William  Jennings,  55,  14, 

167,  176,  231 

Bryant,  William  Cullen 288 

Buchanan,    Franklin    48 

Buchanan,  James.. 82,   179,  224,  269 

Buckner,   Simon   B 27,  86 

Buell,  D.   C 257 

Buena  Ventura,  Spanish  ship...      82 

Buena  Vista,  battle  of 32 

Bullfinch,   Charles    199 

Bull  Run,  battle  of 171 

Bulwer,    Henry    Lytton 80 

Bunker  Hill,  battle  of ,    127 

Burchard,  Samuel  D 17 

Burgoyne,   John    249,  269 

Burnside,  Ambrose  E 322 


Burr,  Aaron.. 20,  3,  28,  74,  167,  284 

Butler,  B.  F 121,  341 

Butler,  John 249,  291 

Butler,  William   339 


Cable  street  car,  first 179 

Cabot,  John 136 

Cabot,  Sebastian 136 

Calendar,    Gregorian,    the,    225, 
248,  322 

Calendar,  Julian,  the 322 

Calhoun,  John  Caldwell,  53,  116, 

344 
California,  State  of,  19,  36,  134, 

177,  215 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  founding  of.    332 
Camden    and    Amboy    Railroad, 

opening  of 258 

Camden,  battle  of 187 

Campbell,  Thomas 324 

Campbell,  William 256 

Canada,     ceded     by    France    to 

England 22 

Candy,   William   J l 

Cape  Cod,  discovery  of 102 

Capitol   at  Washington 7,  198 

Carleton,  Guy   305,  347 

Carpenter,  F.   B 238 

Carpenter's  Hall    209 

"Carpet  Bag"  governments 247 

Cartridge,  metallic,  patent  grant 
ed 183 

Cartwright,   Alexander  J 241 

Carver,  John   339,  340 

Casey,  Silas 112 

Cass,  Lewis 305 

Cathay   (China) 261 

Cavalry  battle 63 

Cedar  Creek,  battle  of..........   276 

Census,  first  national 179 

Centennial  Exhibition 87 

Centennial,  Yorktown 248 

Cerro  Gordo,  battle  of 78 

Cervera,    Admiral    P 153 

Chadwick, ,  French  E 1 54 

Chaffee,  Adna  R ...15,  185 

Champion's  Hills,  battle  of 163 

Chancellorsville,  battle  of 93 

Chapultepec,  battle  of 224 

Charleston,  earthquake 202 

Charter  Oak,  Hartf9rd,  Conn...    194 
"Charter    of   Liberties    and    Pri 
vileges"  268 

Chase,  Thomas 285 

Chateau-Thierry,   battle    of 169 

Chattanooga,  battle  of 304 

Cherokee    "Strip,"    The .' .    .   233 

Cherry     Valley     (N.     Y.)     mas 
sacre   291 

Chesapeake    vs.     Shannon,    bat 
tle   113,  217 

Chicago  fire 258 

Chickamauga,   battle   of 236 

Chief    Big   Foot 345 

China,   Boxer  Rebellion 185 

Chinese  immigration,  regulating 

of 319 

Church,    Benjamin   245 

Churubusco,  battle  of 194 

Cincinnati,    Society   of.. 102 


INDEX 


Cipango    (Japan)    261 

Civil    War   Amnesty 343 

Civil  War  Battles: 

Fort  Sumter,  Apr.   12,  1861. 
Big  Bethel,  June  10,  1861. 
Bull    Run,   July   21,   1861. 
Wilson's  Creek,  Aug.  10,  1861. 
Fort  Henry,  Feb.  6,   1862. 
Fort  Donelson,  Feb.  16,  1862. 
Pea  Ridge,  Mar.   7,   1862. 
Monitor  vs.  Merrimac,  Mar.  9, 

1862. 

Shiloh,  Apr.  6,  1862. 
Williamsburg,  May  5,  1862. 
Fair  Oaks,  May  31,  1862. 
Mechanicsville,  June  26,  1862. 
Gaines  Mill,  June  27,  1862. 
Savage's     Station,     June     29, 

1862. 

Glendale,  June  30,  1862. 
White  Oak   Swamp,  June   30, 

1862. 

Malvern  Hill,  July  1,  1862. 
Antietam,  Sept.  17,  1862. 
Cofinth,  Oct.  3,  1862. 
Perryville,  Oct.  8,  1862. 
Fredericksburg,  Dec.  13,  1862. 
Murfreesboro,  Jan.  2,  1863. 
Chancellorsville,   May  1,  2,  3, 

1863. 
Port  Gibson,   May   1,  2,   3,  4, 

1863. 
Champion's     Hills,     May     16, 

1863. 
Big     Black     River,     May    17, 

1863. 

Gettysburg,  July  1,  2,  3,  1863. 
Vicksburg  surrendered,  July  4, 

1863. 

Chickamauga,  Sept.  19,  1863. 
Chattanooga,  Nov.  23,  1863. 
Orchard  Knob,  Nov.  23,  1863. 
Lookout    Mountain,    Nov.    24, 

1863. 
Missionary     Ridge,    Nov.    25, 

1863.     ' 

Wilderness,  May  5,  1864. 
Spottsylvania      Court     House, 

May  8,   1864. 

Cold  Harbor,  June  1,  1864. 
Petersburg  assaulted,  June  16, 

1864. 
Kearsarge   vs.   Alabama,   June 

19,  1864. 
Peace    Tree    Creek,    July    20, 

1864. 

Atlanta,  July  22,  1864. 
Ezra  Chapel,  July  28,  1864. 
Mobile  Bay,  Aug.   5,  1864. 
Jonesboro,  Aug.  31,  1864. 
Atlanta     captured,      Sept.      2, 

1864. 

Cedar  Creek,  Oct.  19,  1864. 
Franklin,  Nov.  30,  1864. 
Nashville,  Dec.  15,  1864. 
Fort  Fisher  captured,  Jan.  15, 

1865. 

Five  Forks,  Apr.  1,  1865. 
Appomattox  surrendered,  Apr. 

9,    1865. 
Surrender  of  Johnston's  Army, 

Apr.  26,   1865. 


Surrender  of  E.  Kirby  Smith, 
May  26,  1865. 

Civil  War,  beginning 69 

Civil  War,  end  of 68 

Civil  War,  first  bloodshed 80 

Civil  War,  Greeley's  Diplomacy, 

"Anxious  for  Peace" 170 

Civil  War,  last  bloodshed 106 

Civil  War,  surrender  of  Johns 
ton's  army 84 

Civil     War,     surrender     of    last 

army   108 

Clark,  William   289 

Clarke,    Charles   Edgar 56,  154 

Clarke,   George    R 33 

Clarke,  John   340 

Clarke,  Jonas    78 

Clay,  Clement  C 170 

Clay,  Henry,  69,  40,  52,  67,  107, 
167,  287,  297,   322,  343 

Clayton-Bulwer  Treaty 80,  331 

Clayton,  John   M 80 

Clearing  House  Association,  New 

York,  start  of 259 

Clemens,    Samuel   Langhorne...  313 

Clermont,  steamboat 74,  187,  189 

Cleveland,    Beniamin    256 

Cleveland,  Grover,  54,  165,  193, 
279,  331 

Clinton,    De    Witt 53 

Clinton,   George,    3,   4,    53,    161, 

232,  284 
Clinton,    Henry,    138,    243,    271, 

272,  274,  275,  276 

Clocks  of  nation  turned  ahead..  61 

Cloth  weaving,  Crompton  loom.  .  304 

Clymer,  George    162 

Cobb,  Howell   171 

Cochrane,  Thomas 226 

Coddington,   William    ,.  57 

Coghlan,  Joseph  B 91 

Cold    Harbor,   battle   of 113 

"Colonel,"    The     (Theo.    Roose 
velt)    281 

Colorado,  State  of 179,  205 

Colt,  Samuel  35 

Columbia  River,  discovery  of...  97 
Columbus,  Christopher,  260,  104, 

179,  265 

Committees   of   Correspondence.  328 

"Compact,"    Cape    Cod 291,339 

"Compromiser,"    "The   Great"..  69 
"Comstock    Lode,"     silver,     dis 
covery  of 121 

Concord,  battle  of 79 

Concord  (German  Mayflower}..  91 

Concord,  U.  S.  warship 248 

"Condition  .  .  .  not  a  Theory".  54 
Confederate    States   of  America, 
4,  20,  28,  47,  60,  70,  118,  171 

Confederation,  Articles  of 293 

Confederation,  first  in  America.  104 

Conger,  E.  J 75 

Congress,    Anti-Stamp    Act 255 

Congress,    first   meeting   at    new 

Capitol 295 

Congress,      first      of     American 

Colonies    55,  283 

Congress,    first    under    Constitu 
tion     64 

Congress,  U.  S.  warship 48 

Hi 


INDEX 


Congress     of     the     Confederate 

States  of  America 21 

"Congressional    Caucus,"    "The"   322 

Connecticut,    State    of 291,   324 

Conscription    Act    of    Congress, 

signing   of    103 

Conscription,    registration    for.  .    118 

Constable,    William    56 

Constellation  vs.  Insurgente,  bat 
tle     22 

Constitution,    thirteenth    amend 
ment  to   17,  332 

Constitution,    fourteenth   amend 
ment  to 177 

Constitution,      fifteenth      amend 
ment   to    35 

Constitution,     sixteenth     amend 
ment   to    35 

Constitution,  seventeenth  amend 
ment  to 112 

Constitution  of  Connecticut,  old 
est    written    in    history 6 

Constitution      of      the  *  United 

States    133 

Constitution       of       the       United 

States,   ratification   of 319 

Constitution,  U.  S.  S 192,   193 

Constitution   vs.    Guerriere,   bat 
tle    192 

Constitutional       convention       at 

Philadelphia    30,   102 

Continental  Army    287 

Continental    Congress,    first,    30, 

207,  278 
Continental      Congress,      second, 

30,  100,  165,  243,  244 
Continental    Congress,    last    ses 
sion    278 

"Continental  Congress,"    "Great 

Jehovah   and  the" 208 

"Continental,"    origin    of    word, 
5,  100,  207 

Contreras,   battle    of 193 

Cooke  &  Co.,  Jay 236 

Cook,  Francis  A 154 

Cooper,  James  Fenimore 231 

"Copperheads"    103 

Coppin,  Robert   340 

Corinth,    battle    of 246 

Cornwallis     Lord,     30,     52,    206, 
256,  270,  274,  276 

Cotton  Gin,  patent  for 50 

Court  of  Claims,  established  by 

Congress     33 

Cowpens,  battle  of  the 10 

Crawford,  F.   Marion 199 

Crawford,    Thomas    199 

Crawford,   William    C 167 

Creasy,   Edward    249 

Creek    Indian    War 51 

Cremation,    first    formal 321 

"Crisis,"   "The"    332 

Crockett,   David    46 

Crompton,   William    304 

Cromwell,   Samuel    315 

Crosby,    William    G 114 

"Cross   of   Gold" 167 

"Crown   of   Thorns" 167 

Crown  Point,  abandoned  to  Brit 
ish    179 

Cruelty    to    animals,    society    for 
prevention  organized 69 


Crystal   Palace    169 

Cuba,  slavery  leaders  desired  to 

annex    269 

Cuba,  U.  S.  Army  retired  from.  106 

Cumberland,    U.    S.   warship....  48 

Curry,  Duncan  F 241 

Curtin,  Andrew   G 297 

Curtis,  Samuel   R 46 

Curtiss,   Glen   H 97 

Custer,  George  A 136 

Custer  massacre    87,  136 

Custis,    Martha    30 

Custis,  Mary  A.  R 11 

Czolgosz,   Leon    15,  231 


Dacres,   James    Richard 192 

Dahlgren  guns    48 

Daily     Advertiser,     Philadelphia 

(t  paper   234 

D n      the      torpedoes!      Go 

_  ahead"    180 

Dare,   Virginia    192 

"Dark  and  Bloody  Ground,"  the  119 

Dark  Day,"  in  New  England..  104 

Dartmouth,  ship   328 

Davidson,  William 334 

Davis,  Jefferson,  114,  21,  28,  70, 

76,  101,  341 

Davis,    William    A 177 

Deane,  Silas    21 

Dearborn,    Henry    253 

Decatur,  Stephen   41 

Declaration      of      Independence, 

Mecklenburg   Ill 

Declaration      of      Independence, 

The    158 

"Decoration  Day"    110 

Deerfield    massacre    36 

Deerhound,  English  yacht 133 

Delaplace,  Captain 208 

Delaware,  State  of.. 36,  60,  177,  293 

Delehanty,  Daniel    155 

Democratic   party    51,  202 

Democratic-Republican  party,  51, 

88,  167 

Densmore,    James    136 

Dent,  Julia    84 

Design,   National   Academy   of.  .  8 

De   Soto,   Fernando 133 

Detroit,  British  warship 217 

Detroit,  surrender  of.. 181,  216,  313 

Deutschland,  German  submarine  166 

Dewey,  George    344,  91 

District   of   Columbia 170 

Diving    suit    with    brass    helmet, 

patented    122 

Dix,  John  A 16 

"Dixie,"  first  sung 236 

Dixon,  Jeremiah 292 

"Dongan's  Charter"    268 

Dongan,  Thomas    268 

"Don't  give  up  the  ship!".. 113,  217 

Dorsey,    Sarah    R 117 

Dotey,  Edward   340 

Doubleday,   Abner    147 

Douglas,   Stephen  A 83,  24,  25 

Downie,    George   221 

Draft  Riots,  Civil  War 168 

Drake,  Edwin  L 200 

Drayton,  Percival 180 

"Drives,"  military   225 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Drummond,  George  Gordon....  176 

Duel — Burr    vs.    Hamilton.  ..  .5,  167 

Duel — Clay   vs.    Randolph 67 

Dunant,  Henri   104 

Dupuignac,   E.   R.,  Jr 241 

Durand,    Ferdinand    230 

Dyer,   Nehemiah   M 91 


Early,  Jubal 175,  276 

Earthquake,  California 77 

Earthquake,  Charleston 202 

East   India   Company,   The 327 

Edgar,   William    56 

Edison,  Thomas  Alva,  23,  14,  28, 

207,  278 

Education,  Mass.  State  Board  of  81 
Education,  U.  S.  Department 

of     41 

Egan,  Thomas  P 12 

El  Caney,  battle  of 149 

Election    Day    13 

Election,    First    National 2 

Electoral  Votes  in  First  National 

Election 3 

Electricity,  Benj.  Franklin  iden 
tified    126 

Electric     Lighting     plant,     first 

started    206 

Elevated    railroad,    first 94 

Elizabeth,  Queen   334 

Elliott,  Jesse  Duncan 218 

Ellmaker,  Amos   243 

Ellsworth,    E.    Elmer 107 

Ellsworth,  Oliver 284 

Elson,  Louis  C 230 

Emancipation   of  negroes 1,  237 

Embargo   Act    59 

Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo 108,  111 

Emmett,   Dan    236 

Endicott,   M.    T 64 

Engel,  George   96 

England,  in  re  Confederacy....  118 
England,  "Orders  in  Council"..  120 
England,  war  declared  against.  .  132 
English  language  in  Philippine 

Islands    .  . . .' 333 

"English,  Thomas    340 

Enterprise  vs.  Boxer,  battle 213 

"Epizootic,"  disease  of  horses..   279 

"Equal   Rights   Party" 279 

"Era  of  Good  Feeling" 88 

Ericsson,  John   19,  48,  236 

Ericsson,  U.  S.  torpedo  boat...  155 
Erie  Canal,  complete  opening  of  280 

Erie  Canal,  first  boat  on 278 

Ernst,  Oswald  H 64 

Estaing,  Charles  Hector,   Comte 

d' 258 

Ether,  first  used  as  anesthetic.  .      60 

Eutaw  Springs,  battle  of 214 

Evacuation  Day,  New  York 305 

"Evangeline" 177 

Evans,    Robley   D 154,268 

Evening  Post,  New  York 34,  288 

Everett,  Edward 298,  300 

Ewall,  R.  S 143 

Ewing,  John   324 

Exposition,  Atlanta 235,  248 

Exposition,  Centennial   101 

Exposition,  Columbian    94 

Exposition,   first   industrial 169 


Exposition,      first      international 

co«9n    248 

Exposition,  Hyde  Park,  London.    194 
Exposition,  Louisiana  Purchase.      94 

Exposition,    New    Orleans 248 

Exposition,     Panama-Pacific     In 
ternational    28,  345 

Exposition,   Pan-American    ...15,  94 

Exposition,   Tercentenary    84 

Exposition,  Trans-Mississippi  In 
ternational    114 

Exposition,     World's     Industrial 

and    Cotton    Centennial 331 

Express  business,  start  of 32 

Ezra  Chapel,  battle  of 206 


"Face     the     other     way,     boys! 

We're  going  back" 277 

Fairfax,  Lord   29 

Fair  Oaks,  battle  of 112 

Fannin,   James    W 56 

Farragut,    David   Glasgow 163 

Farrand,  Daniel   302 

Faunce,    Thomas    341 

"Federalist,"    "The" 5,  53 

Federation     of     Labor,      organ 
ization  204 

Fenian   Brotherhood    119 

Ferdinand  of  Aragon 262 

Ferguson,  Major    256 

Fessendon,  Reginald  A 185 

Field,   Cyrus   W 168 

Fielden,  Samuel 96 

Fields,  Joseph  285 

"Fifty-four  Forty  or  Fight" 127 

"Fight,"  "I  have  not  yet  begun 

to" 240 

"Fight  it  out  en  this  line" 86 

Fillmore,  Millard 4 

Fire  Prevention  Day,  institution 

of 259 

"Fire  when  you  are  ready,  Grid- 
ley"   92 

Fischer,  Adolph 96 

Fisheries,  controversy  with  Great 

Britain    304 

"Fishhook  Line"  at  Gettysburg.    142 

Fiske,  John    255,  264 

Fitch,  John 188,   199 

Five  Forks,  battle  of 63 

"Flag,"   "If  anyone  attempts  to 

haul  down"    16 

Flag  of  the  United  States,  122, 
1,  26,  74,  221 

Flagler,   Henry   M 5 

Fletcher,  Frank  M ....      82 

Flogging,   abolishment  in   U.    S. 

Navy 244 

Florida,   commerce   destroyer...      67 
Florida,  State  of,  19,  42,  59,  69, 
84,  88,  166,  247,  278 

Florida,  Steamship 13 

Floyd,  John 52 

Floyd,  John  B 27 

Food,  first  act  regulating 201 

Forbes,  Gen 305 

Ford,  Henry 118 

Ford   Motor   Company 118 

Forefathers'  Day 333 

Fort  Donelson  27,  86 

Fort  Duquesne 305 

Fort  Duquesne,  battle  of 165 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Fort  Fisher   captured 7 

Fort  Henry   86 

Fort  McHenry 226,  229 

Fort  Moultrie,  battle  of 138 

Fort  Moultrie  (Civil  War) 70 

Fort  Philip  Kearney 333 

Fort   Stanwix    251 

Fort  Sumter,  bombardment  of. 69,  77 

Fort  Washington,  captured 294 

Foster,  John    W 186 

Foster,  Stephen  Collins 163 

"Fountain  of  Youth,"  Ponce  de 

Leon's   search   for 59 

^France,   decree  stopping  neutral 

commerce   120 

France      (Directorate),      Decree 

against  contraband  commerce.      99 

France,  in  re  Confederacy 118 

France,  Treaty  of  Alliance  with     21 
France,   war   against   England..    122 

Franklin,   battle    of 313 

Franklin,    Benjamin,    8,    21,    26, 

73,  76,  126,  158,  206 

Franklin,   Samuel 56 

Fraser,  Simon 254 

Fraunce's  Tavern    318 

Fredericksburg,  battle  of 322 

Freeman's  Farm,  battle  of 253 

"Free  Silver"   54 

"Free  Soilers"    165 

Free  Soil  Party 183 

Fremont,  John  C 82,  165 

French  and  Indian  War,  22,  165, 

176,  224,  313,  326 

French  Army  in  Mexico 50 

Frontenac,  steamboat 214 

Fry,  Joseph 286,  289 

Fuel,  government  administration 

of 8 

Fuller,  Samuel   339 

Fulton,  Robert   187 

Funston,  Frederick   57 


Gadsden,  James 347 

Gadsden  Purchase,  treaty  for  the  347 

Gage,  Thomas  78,  128 

"Gag  rule,"  first  adopted  by 

House  of  Representatives 108 

Gaines  Mill,  battle  of 137 

Gallatin,  Albert 343 

Gansevoort,  Peter 251 

Garfield,  Harry  A 8 

Garfield,  James  A 296,  150,  236 

Garrison,  William  Lloyd 318 

Gates,  Horatio  187,  235,  253 

Catling  Gun,  patent  granted. . . .  288 

Catling,  Richard  Jordan 288 

Gazette,  Boston  284,  324 

"Geary  Act,"  The 288 

Georgia,  State  of 69,  84,  169 

Georgia,  University  of 14,  26 

Gerard,  James  J 20 

Germaine,  George  249 

German  Day  in  Pennsylvania..  248 
German  immigrants,  first  to 

America  278 

Germantown,  battle  of.. 30,  246,  252 
German  War,  first  act  against 

United  States  35 

German  War,  first  American 

troops  in  France 137 

German  War,  first  gun  fired. ...  80 


PAGE 

German  War  Loan,  first  to  Allies  83 
Germany  and  the  United  States 

arbitration  treaty 312 

Germany,     announcements     and 

expressions  by    17 

Germany,     declaration     of     war 

against    , 68 

Germany,       diplomatic       contro 
versy  57 

Germany,  first  war  credit  against  76 

Geronimo,  Indian  chief 207 

Gerry,   Elbridge    34 

Gettysburg,  battle  of 141 

Gettysburg,  Lincoln's  Address  at  297 

Ghent,   treaty    of 342 

Gilbert,  Rufus 94 

Glendale    (or    Frayser's    Farm), 

battle  of   137 

Glidden,   Carlos    135 

Gloucester,   U.   S.  warship.  .154,  157 

Goebel,  William   16 

Goethals,  George  W. ..........  186 

Gold  discovered  in   California.  .  13 

Gold  discovered  in  Colorado....  100 

Gompers,  Samuel 204 

"Good  Gray  Poet,"  The Ill 

Goodyear,    Charles    126 

Gorrie,  John    96 

Gosnold,   Bartholomew 102 

Gould,  Helen  M Ill 

Graham,  James 268 

Grand  Army  of  the   Republic..  109 

Grant,  Matthew   84 

Grant,  Ulysses  S.,  84,  27,  65,  68, 

76,  86,  96,  98,  101,  107,  113, 

127,  163,  176,  306 
Grasse,  Compte  Francois  Joseph 

Paul  de    (Marquis  de   Grasse- 

Tilly) 211,  212,  272,  273,  274 

Graves,  Thomas   211 

Gray,  Elisha    26 

Gray,  Robert 97 

Great   Britain,    first   minister   to 

United  States    *• 182 

Great  Eastern,  Steamship. ..  138,  168 

Great  Western,  Steamship 83 

Greeley,  Adolphus  W 135 

Greeley,    Horace 19,    87,  170 

Green,  Beriah 318 

Greene,  Nathanael,  182,  52,  214,  270 

"Green  Mountain  Boys" 208 

Gregory,  John  H 100 

Gridley,  Charles  V 91 

Griffiths,  Richard   205 

Gronna,  Asle  J 66 

Guadaloupe  Hidalgo,  treaty  of.  .  19 

Guerriere,  British  warship 192 

Guilford  Court  House,  battle  of.  52 

Guiteau,  Charles  J 150,  236 


Hains,   Peter   B 64 

Hale,  Edward  Everett 63 

Hale,  Nathan 237,  241 

Half  Moon,  ship 64,  221 

Hall,  Charles  B 108 

Hallidie,  Andrew 179 

Hall  of  Fame,  opening  of Ill 

Hamilton,   Alexander,    5,    3,   20, 
73,  167,  233,  284 

Hammond,  George 182 

Hancock,  John 6,  4,  78 

Hancock,  W.  S 101,  143,  296 


INDEX 


Hanging  of  Isaac  Hayne 179 

Hanging  of  Major  Andre 241 

Hanging  of  Mary  E.  Surratt.76,   165 

Hanging  of  Nathan  ^ale 237 

Hanging     of     Navy     mutineers, 

Spencer,  Cromwell  and  Small.    315 
Hanging  of  Salem   "Witches"..    192 

Harkness,   Stephen  V 5 

Harlem,  battle  of 30,  232 

Harnden,   William   Frederick...      32 

Harper,  Fletcher    74 

Harper,  James    74 

Harper,  John 74 

Harper,  Joseph   Wesley 74 

Harper,  Robert  G 34 

Harrison,   Benjamin 193,  54,  279 

Harrison,  Carter  Henry 283 

Harrison,  Robert  H 4 

Harrison,     William     Henry,    21, 
60,  217,  220,  247,  319 

Harrod,    Benjamin   M 64 

"Hartford  Convention,"  The...    324 

Hartford,   U.   S.  warship 180 

Hartley,  David 206 

Harvard      College,      first      com 
mencement     183 

Harvard,  John    183 

Hawaii  annexation  to  U.  S.,  165,  185 

Hawthorne,   Nathaniel    162 

Hay,  John 295,  299,  331 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B 246,  22,  42 

Haymarket  riot  and  "massacre," 

Chicago    95,  291 

Hayne,  Isaac 179 

Hayne,    Robert    Y 14 

Haynes,    Lemuel    302 

Hay-Pauncefote  treaty    80,  331 

Hays,  John    267 

Heintzelman,    S.    P 173 

Hemmingway,  Jacob   257 

Henry,  John .    284 

Henry,  Patrick 3,  56,  209 

Henry,    William     188 

Herkimer,  Nicholas    181,  251 

Higginson,  John  Francis 154 

Hill,  A.  P 143 

Hist,  U.  S.  warship 155 

Hobson,   Richmond   Pearson....    118 

Hoffman,  Charles  Fenno 242 

Holcombe,  James  P 170 

Holley,   Alexander   L 14 

Holmes,    Oliver    Wendell. .  .200,  193 

"Home,    Sweet  Home"/ 120,  292 

Hood,  John   Bell 206,   313,  324 

Hooker,  Joseph 93,   141,  323 

Hopewell,  S.  C.  treaty 312 

Hopkins,  Giles    338 

Hopkins,  Oceanus   339 

Hopkins,  Stephen 340 

Houdon,  Jean  Antoine 31 

Houston,  Samuel 39,  82,  278 

Howard,  O.  0 143 

Howe,    William,    129,    130,    221, 
243,   246,   249,   282 

Howells,   William  Dean 39 

Rowland,  John    338,   340 

Hudson,  Henry 64,  221 

Hudson,  John   Elbridge 21 

Huerta,  Victoriano 32,  82 

Hughes,  Charles  E 345 

Hull,    Isaac    192 

Hull,  William    167,  181 

Humphries,    Charles 159,   161 


Hunter,  David    173 

Huntingdon;   Samuel    4 

Hutchinson,  Thomas    45,  329 


Ice  -  making  machine,  patent   is 
sued    96 

Idaho,  State  of 152 

Illinois,   State   of 317 

Impeachment,    first    138 

Inauguration   Day    42 

Incandescent     lamp,     patent     is 
sued,    14 

Incandescent   light,   first    278 

Indiana,    State    of 322 

Indiana,   U.   S.  warship 154 

Indian     Day,    American,     estab 
lished    94 

Indians,    Apache    207 

Indian   Territory    82,   139 

Indian    War,    Sioux 136 

Ingersoll,  Robert  Green 184 

"Innocuous    Desuetude"     54 

Interstate     Commerce     Commis 
sion,  establishment  of 20 

Iowa,   State  of 344 

Iowa,  U.   S.  warship 154,   156 

Iredell,   James    -.   284 

Irving,    Washington 63,   28,  234 

Isabella  of  Castile 262 


Jackson,  Andrew,  50,  4,  16,  63, 
120,  167,  279,  297,  344 

Jackson,    Charles   Thomas 60 

Jackson,  J.    W 107 

Jackson,    Thomas    J.,     ("Stone 
wall") 12,   93,   95,   137,  174 

Jamestown,   Va 101,   177 

Japan,    first   treaty   with    United 
States    60 

Say,  John 3,  4,  206,  284 
efferson,  Joseph  28 
efferson,  Martha  72 

Jefferson,   Mary    72 

Jefferson,   Peter    72 

Jefferson,    Thomas,    71,    28,    51, 

158,  283,  284,  320 
Johnson,    Andrew,    346,    33,    57, 
76,  119 

Johnson,  Hiram   182 

Johnson,  John 249 

Johnson,    Richard    M 247 

Johnson,  S 284 

Johnston,  Albert  Sidney 65 

Johnston,  Joseph  E.,  68,  84,  112, 
114,  171,  206 

Johnstown  Flood   112 

Joint  High  Commission  of  Arbi 
tration     67 

Jonesboro,   battle    of 206 

Jones,  John  Paul 1 64,  26,  240 

Jusserand,   J.    J 212 


Kansas-Nebraska  Act   304 

Kansas,  State  of 16,  287,  289 

Kearsarge  vs.  Alabama,  battle. . .  132 

Keene,  Laura    75 

Kegs,  battle  of  the 2 

Kent,  Jacob  F 149 

Kentucky,     State     of,     36,     113, 
125,  177 


INDEX 


Key,  Francis   Scott 226 

Kimberley,   Rear   Admiral S3 

King  Edward  VII 278 

King  George  III 78,  325,  346 

King    George's    War 269 

King   Tames    1 69,   334 

King  James  II 194,  215,  269 

King   Tohn  II 262 

"King"    Philip,  Indian 184 

King,   Rufus,    56,  88 

King's,  Mountain,  battle  of 256 

King    William's    War 283 

Knights  of  Labor 203 

"Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle".    224 
Knitting  machine,  patent  issued.    231 

Knowlton,    Thomas    232 

"Knownothing"  party   82 

Knox,  Henry 102,  305 


Labor  Day,   inauguration   of....  203 

Labor  Day  in  Louisiana 306 

Laconia,  Cunard  steamship 35 

Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  213,  20, 
271,  273,  275,  341 

La  Follette,  Robert  M 66 

Lake  Champlain,  battle  of 221 

Lake  Erie,  battle  of 215 

Landais,    Capt 241 

Lane,   Harry 66 

Langley,    Samuel    Pierrepont.  .  .  96 

Lansing,  Robert   58 

La    Salle,    Chevalier    de 67 

Latrobe,  Benjamin  H 199 

Laurens,  Henry   321 

Law,   first  lecture   on 324 

Lawrence,  O.  H.  Perry's  flag 
ship  216 

Lawrence,  James 113,  217 

Lawrence,   Richard    16 

Lawton,    Henry    W 149 

Lecompton   Constitution    ....82,  179 

Lee,   Arthur    21 

Lee,  Charles 138 

Lee,  Henry 11 

Lee,  John  D 223 

Lee,    Richard   Henry 119,  158 

Lee,  Robert  E.,  10,  68,  93,  96, 
98,  99,  113,  114,  118,  127,  137, 
141,  146,  235,  239,  318,  322 

Legislative   Assembly,   first 177 

"Lend  a  Hand" 63 

Leopard  vs.  Chesapeake,  battle, 
74,  134 

Leslie,    Col 232 

Lewis  and  Clark,  Expedition  of, 
74,  289 

Lewis,   Evan    318 

Lewis,    Meriwether    .  .  * 289 

Lexington,  battle  of 78 

Liberty  Loan,  first 127 

Liberty  Loan,  second 282 

Liberty  Loan,  third 96 

Liberty   Loan,   fourth 277 

"Liberty — or   death" 57 

Linares,    Gen 149 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  23,  1,  25,  39, 
70,  75,  76,  77,  83,  103,  114, 
115,  119,  202,  237,  310 

Lincoln,    Benjamin 4,   258,  275 

Lincoln,  Robert  Todd 24 

Lincoln's    "Lost    Speech" 109 

Lind,   Jenny    164 


Lingg,  Louis   ' 

Lipton,   Thomas    198 

Livingston,  Robert  R..158,  161,  188 

Lloyd,  George  K 205 

"Loco-Fpco"    party    279 

Locomotive,  first  built  in  United 

States     7,  182 

Lodge,    Henry    Cabot 31 

Logan,  John  A 109 

London    Company    69 

Longfellow,    Henry    Wadsworth, 

36,  79,  177 

Long  Island,  battle  of..  30,  200,  232 

Longstreet,  James 112,   143,  146 

Lookout  Mountain,  battle  of,  304, 

305 

Lopez,  Narciso   203 

Louisburg,   surrender   of 176 

Louisiana,   State   of,   69,   73,  88, 

245,  247 

Lovejoy,   Elijah   P 321 

Low,  Nicholas 56 

Lowell,  James  Russell 31 

Ludwig,  Mary 267 

Lundy's  Lane,  battle  of 176 

Lusitania  forpedoed    97,  345 

Luzerne,    Anne     Caesar     de     la, 

French  minister    272 

Lynnhaven   Bay,  battle   of.. 211,  274 

Lyon,  Nathaniel 184 


MacdonOugh,  Thomas 2, 

Macomb,  Alexander 221 

Macon,  Nathaniel 295 

Madero,   Francisco   Indalecio...      32 
Madison,  James,  53,  3,  162,  181, 

226 
Magazine,   Atlantic    Monthly...      32 

Magazine,    The    American 26 

Magazine,    The    General 26 

Magellan,   Fernando    243 

Magoon,  Charles  E 64 

Mahan,  Alfred  T .212,  222 

Mail,  free  delivery,  beginning  of  291 

Maine    Law     114 

Maine,    State    of 40,   41,42 

Maine,  U.  S.  warship •   27 

Malvern  Hill,  battle  of 137,   149 

Manila   Bay,   battle   of ' 

Manila,    surrender    of 185 

Mann,  Horace 95,  81 

Manufacturers,    National    Asso 
ciation  of 12 

March    through    Georgia,    Sher 
man's    294 

"March  to  the  Sea" 332 

Marconi,    Guglielmq    322 

Marine   Corps,    United    States..    169 

Markham,  William 280 

"Mark     Twain,"      (Samuel      L. 

Clemens)    313 

Marriage,  first  at  Plymouth 101 

Marshal,  James  Wilson 13 

Marshall,  John 242,  33,  43 

Martin,  Joseph   312 

Maryland,  first  assembly 33 

Maryland,  State  of,  36,  59,  177, 

293 

Mason  and  Dixon's  line,  41,  46, 
292 

Mason,    Charles    292 

Mason,  James  M 290 


INDEX 


Masonic,   anti,   party 223,  243 

Mason,  John   Y 269 

Massachusetts  Assembly 207 

Massachusetts,   State  of 205,  324 

Massachusetts,    U.     S.    warship, 

154,  155,  156 

Massasoyt,    Indian    chief 308 

Matanzas,  bombardment  of 87 

"Matanzas  mule,"  The 88 

Mather,  Cotton x  257 

Mathews,  R.  P.,  steamship 42 

Mawhood,    Col 1 

Maximilian  of  Austria 133 

Maxwell,  William 56 

Mayflower,  Pilgrim's  ship 336 

McClellan,    George    B.,   317,   85, 

136,  202,  235,  239 

McCormick,  Cyrus  H 133 

McCormick,  Daniel   56 

McCulloch,  Ben   184 

McCulloch,  Hugh,  U.  S.  revenue 

cutter    91 

McDonald,  John  B 282 

McDowell,   Charles    256 

McDowell,  Irwin 172 

McGuire,   Matthew    205 

McKinley,  William,  14,  55,  185, 

214,  231,  280,  281 

McLean,  Alexander 293 

McLean,  Wilmer   68 

McMaster,  John   B 223 

Meade,    George   G 141 

Mechanics'  arts,  colleges  of...j.  201 

Mechanicsville,  battle  of 136 

Memorial  Day,  (National) 109 

Memorial       Day,       Confederate, 

Alabama   84 

Memorial       Day,       Confederate, 

Florida   84 

Memorial       Day,       Confederate, 

Georgia     84 

Memorial       Day,       Confederate, 

Louisiana 64 

Memorial       Day,       Confederate, 

Mississippi 84 

Memorial       Day,       Confederate, 

North  Carolina 100 

Memorial       Day,       Confederate, 

South   Carolina 100 

Menendez,  Pedro   200,  214 

"Merchant   Adventures  of   Lon 
don"    335 

Merrimac,  C.  S.  warship 47 

Merrimac,  U.  S.  Navy  collier...    118 

Merritt,  Wesley  M 185 

Mexican  War 56,  59,  83 

Mexican  War  Battles: 

Palo  Alto— May  8,  1846 
Resaca  de   la   Palma — May  9, 

1846 

Monterey — Sept.  21,  23,  1846 
Buena  Vista— Feb  23,  1847 
Bombardment  of  Vera  Cruz — 

Mar.    22,    1847 
Cerro  Gordo— Apr.  18,  1847 
Contreras — Aug.  19,  1847 
Churubusco — Aug.  20,  1847 
Mcrlino  del  Rey— Sept.  8,  1847 
Chapultepec— Sept.  13,  1847 
City     of     Mexico     captured — 

Sept.    14,  1847 
Mexico,  militia  called  out  against  132 


Mexico,   war   declared   against..    102 

Michigan,  State  of 14,  134 

Milburn,  John  G 15 

Miles,   Nelson   Appleton.  . .  .207,  345 
"Millions    for   Defense,   but   not 

a  Cent  for  Tribute !" 33 

Milton,  John 4 

Minden,  Cartel  ship 226 

Minnesota,  State  of 101,  134 

Mint,  U.  S 63,  232 

Minuit,   Peter    60 

Minute  men 79 

Missionary  Ridge,  battle  of,  304, 
306 

Mississippi  River 70,  133 

Mississippi,  State  of 69,  84,  321 

Missouri    Compromise    Act,    39, 
46,  88 

Missouri,  State  of 40,  41,  184 

"Mistakes  of  Moses" 184 

Mobile  Bay,  battle  of 180 

Modoc    Indian    War 87 

Molino  Del-  Rey,  battle  of 215 

Mongolia,  steamship    81 

Monitor,  U.  S.  warship 48,  236 

Monitor  vs.  Merrimac,  battle.  .  .      47 

Monmouth,  battle  of 30,  138,  267 

Monongahela,    battle   of   the....    165 

"Monroe  Doctrine" 50,  88,  315 

Monroe,  James    88,  42 

Montana,  State  of 291 

Montcalm,    Marquis    de 224 

Monterey,  battle  of 237,  242 

Montgomery,  Richard    291,  347 

"Monticello"   72 

Montojo,  Admiral    92 

Montreal  surrendered 291 

Monument — T  iberty      enlighten 
ing  the  world 283 

Monument  to  Lincoln  at  Spring 
field,   111 268 

Monument,  Washington    28,  31 

Morgan,  Daniel 10,  253,  254 

Morgan,  William   223 

Mormonism 138,   176,   223,  237 

Morris,  Robert 12,  35,  123 

Morse   alphabet   code,   first  pub 
lic  demonstration   13 

Morse,    Samuel    Finley    Breeze, 
87,  13 

Morton,  William  T.  G 60 

"Mother's  Day"   94 

Mott,  Lucretia   171 

Moultrie,  William    138 

Mountain  Meadows  massacre...   223 

Mount  Vernon,  Va 30 

"Mourt's  Relation"    308,  340 

Mullins,    Priscilla    337 

Murchison,   Charles   F 279 

Murfreesboro,  battle  of 1 

Murray,  John   56 

Mutiny  on  U.  S.  S.  Somers....   315 

Nails,  machine  for  making..  103,  344 

Nashville,  battle  of 324 

Nashville,   U.    S.    warship 82 

National  Era 118 

National  Republican  Party 69 

Naval   Academy,    U.    S.,   at  An 
napolis   opened 359 

Navy  Department  organized....    182 
Navy,  first  engagement  of  Revo 
lution    121 


INDEX 


Navy     of     the     United     States, 

founding  of 49 

Nebraska,   State   of 39 

Neebe,   Oscar  W 96 

Negro  soldiers    199 

Nevada,  State  of 286 

New   Amsterdam    215 

New  Hampshire,   State  of.. 256,  324 
New  Jersey,  State  of... 36,  178,  205 

New  Mexico,  State  of 2,  19,  126 

New  Orleans,  battle  of 4,  51 

New      Orleans — Gen.       Butler's 

"Order    No.    28" 341 

Newport,  purchase  of 57 

Newspaper,  first  daily 236 

Newspaper,  first  in  America...    242 

"New   Style"  calendar 322 

New    Testament,    Revised,    pub 
lished    104 

New  York  Central  and  Hudson 

River  Ry 109 

New    York    Chamber    of.  Com 
merce    64 

New   York    City,   fire 331 

New     York     City,     taken     from 

Dutch    215 

New  York,  State  of,  36,  178,  205, 

255,  289 
New  York,  U.  S.  warship. .  .154,  156 

New    York    University Ill 

Niagara,  Perry's  flagship 216 

Nicaraguan  Canal    331 

Nichols,   Richard    215 

Nicolay,  John  G 298,  299 

Nina,    Columbus's    ship 264 

Nipsic,  U.  S.  warship 53 

Nobel  Peace  Prize 213 

Norcross,  Leonard 122 

Norris,  George  W 66 

North    Carolina,     State    of,    26, 

207,  256 
North  Carolina,  University  of .  .     26 

North  Dakota,  State  of 287 

North,   Lord    276 

North  Pole,  discovery  of 68 

Northwest  Territory   168 

Nova  Scotia   69,  178 

Nullification 14,  52,  54,  296 


O'Brien,  Jeremiah . .    121 

Oglethorpe,  James   23 

"O  Grab  Me"  act 341 

O'Hara,  Theodore 171 

Ohio,  State  of 28,  289 

Oklahoma 82,  194,  233,  295 

"Old  Man  Eloquent" 167 

"Old  Oaken  Bucket,"  "The"...       6 

"Old  Style"  calendar 248,  322 

O'Leary,  Mrs 258 

Olympia,  U.  S.  flagship 91 

Omnibus  Bill   4,  305 

Opera,  first  sung  in  America...   317 

Orchard  Knob,  battle  of 304 

"Ordinance  of  Secession" 25 

Oregon  Boundary  Treaty 126 

Oregon,  State  of 36,  205,  289 

"Oregon  Trail,"  The 49 

Oregon,    U.    S.    warship 56,  153 

Oriskany,   battle    of 181,251 

Osgood,  Samuel   50 

Ostend   Manifesto    269 

Oswald,   Richard    206 


"Our  country — right  or  wrong"     41 
"Our  flag  is  still  there" 229 

Pacific  Ocean,  discovery  of 243 

Paine,  Thomas   332 

Pakenham,   Edward    4,  51 

Palo  Alto,  battle  of 98 

Panama    Canal    Commission....      64 
Panama   Canal,   opening,  of.  186,  345 
Panama  Canal,  plans   for  build 
ing  281 

Panama  Railroad  completed....      14 
Panama,   Republic   of,    186,   289, 

295,  345 

Pan-American     Congress,     first, 
194,  245 

Panic  of  1869 242 

Panic  of  1873 236,  242 

Parcel  Post 1,  232 

Paris,  treaty  of 22 

Parker,    Alton    B 280 

Parker,  John 79 

Parker,  Peter   138 

Parkman,   Francis    232 

Parsons,  Albert  R 96 

Pastorius,  Daniel   248 

Patent  Bureau,  U.  S.  established  163 

"Patriot  War,"  The .  ....    319 

Patterson.  Robert 171 

Paulding,  John   241 

Pauncefote,  Lord 331 

Payne,  John   Howard 120,  292 

Peace    Day    103 

"Peace  without  victory" 13 

Peach  Tree  Creek,  battle  of 206 

Peale,  Charles  W 31 

Pea  Ridge,  battle  of 46 

Pearson,   Richard    240,  242 

Peary,  Robert  E 68 

Peking,  march  to 185 

Pemberton,  J.    C •. 163 

Pendleton,  George  H 202 

Peninsula  Campaign    136 

Penn,    William,    267,    135,    280, 
283,  292 

Pennsylvania  Evening  Post 161 

Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company 

organized    74 

Pennsylvania,  State  of 134,  298 

Pennsylvania,  University  of.. 26,  95 
Pension  act,  first  passed  by  con 
gress    55 

People's  Party 176,  185 

Percy,  Lord 80 

Perestrelo,  Philippa 261 

Perez  de  Marchena,  Juan 263 

Perry,  Matthew  Galbraith 60 

Perry,   Oliver   Hazard..  198,  60,  216 

Perryyille,  battle  of 257 

Pershing,  John  J 47 

Petersburg  assaulted 127 

Petrel,  U.  S.  S 91 

Petroleum,    discovery    of 200 

Philadelphia    captured    by    Brit 
ish  243 

Philadelphia,     charter     of     city 

granted   .V 283 

Philadelphia,    City   of 252 

Philip,  John  Woodward....  154,  158 

Phillips,  Wendell 321 

Phonograph,  patent  issued 28 

Photography,        color,        patent 
granted '. 175 


INDEX 


Picardy,  battle  of 56 

Pickett,    George    E 63,  146 

Pickett's   Charge  at  Gettysburg.    147 
Pierce,    Franklin,    303,    60,    163, 
169,  269 

Pigot,   Robert    129 

Pike's    Peak,    discovery    of 293 

Pike,   Zebulon   M 244,  293 

Pilgrims,  The 190,   322,   333,   336 

"Pilot  boats" 194 

Pinckney,     Charles     Cotesworth, 
33,  53,  74,  284 

Pinckney,  Thomas   284 

Pint  a,  Columbus's  ship 259,  264 

Pinzon,    Martin   Alonzo 263 

Pitcairn,  Major 79 

Pitcher,    Molly    267,138 

Plains     of    Abraham,     battle     of 

the , 224 

Play,  "Our  American  Cousin"..      75 
"Plymouth   Plantation,"   History 

of 336 

Pocahontas,    Indian    Princess...        2 

Poe,  Edgar  Allen 12 

Poele,  C.  J.  Van  de 10 

Political  Party,  first  convention.    322 

Polk,  James  K 287,  69,  107 

Ponce    de    Leon 59 

"Pony    Express,"    first 71 

"Populists"     .'176,   185 

Porras,   Belisario    186 

Porter,    Horace    164 

Port  Gibson,  battle  of 163 

Portsmouth,  treaty  of 213,  281 

Postage,   reduction  of  letter.  ...      42 
Postal     cards,     one     cent,     first 

issued    94 

Post  Office,  General,  established 

by  Congress 50 

Post    Office    money    order    sys 
tem    established    103 

Powderly,  T.  V 204 

Powder,  smokeless,  first  use  of.    176 

Pratt,  John 315 

Prescott,  William    128,   130 

Prescott,  William  Hickling 95 

Presidential  Message,   First  An 
nual   4 

Presidential  Message,  first  writ 
ten  320 

President   of   United   States,   sal 
ary    21,   42,  44 

Preston,   Captain    44 

Prevost,  Augustine    258 

Price,   Robert    205 

Price,  Sterling 46,  184,  246 

Princeton,  battle  of 1,  30 

Pritchard,   Benjamin   D 101 

Proctor,  Henry  A 247 

Progressive  Party 134,   182,  281 

Prohibition  of  Liquor,   114,  287, 
332 

"Prophet,"    The    22,290 

Publick  Occurrences,  first  news 
paper   in    America 242 

Publishing,   business   of 74 

.Pulaski,   Count   Casimir.* 258 

Pullman,    George   M 317 

Putnam,  Israel    129,  232 

Quebec,   assault  on 347 

Quebec,  Province  of 210 

Quincy,  Josiah    45 


PAGE 

Railroads,  Government  operation 

of 201,  346 

Railway  mail,  first  trial 177 

Raleigh,  U.  S.  ship 91 

Rail,  Johan  Gotlieb 343 

Randall,   Thomas    56 

Randolph,  Isham    

Randolph,  Jane    72 

Randolph,  John    67 

Randolph,    Peyton    209 

Ranger,  U.  S.  warship 26 

Rankin,  Jeannette    66 

Rathbone,   Henry   R 75 

Rawdon,  Lord    179 

Read,   George    159 

Read,  James   Buchanan 277 

Read,  Nathan    199 

Reaper,  agricultural,  patent  for.    133 

"Rebellious  Stripes,"  The 123 

"Rebel  yell" 175 

"Reconstruction"    169 

"Reconstruction   Amendment"..    177 

Red  Cross,  founding  of 104 

Republican  Party.. 73,  165,  183,  231 
Republican      Party,      Taft      vs. 

Roosevelt   133 

Republic,  steamship 13 

Resaca  de  la  Palma,  battle  of..      99 
Revere,    Paul 78,   285,  330 

Revolutionary  War  Battles: 

Lexington,  Apr.   19,  1775. 
Capture  of  Ticonderoga,  May 

10,   1775. 
Amity    vs.    Margaretta,    June 

12,   1775. 

Bunker  Hill,  June  17,  1775. 
Montreal     surrendered,     Nov. 

12,    1775. 
Assault    on    Quebec,   Dec.    31, 

1775. 

Fort  Moultrie,  June  28,  1776. 
Long  Island,  Aug.  27,  1776. 
Harlem,  Sept.  16,  1776. 
White  Plains,  Oct.  28,  1776. 
Capture   of   Fort   Washington, 

Nov.    16,    1776. 
Trenton,  Dec.  26,  1776. 
Princeton,  Jan.  3,  1777. 
Oriskany,  Aug.  6,  1777. 
Bennington,  Aug.  16,  1777. 
Brandywine,  Sept.   11,  1777. 
Stillwater   (Freeman's   Farm), 

Sept.   19,   1777. 
Germantown,  Oct.  4,  1777. 
Bemis  Heights,  Oct.  7,  1777. 
Convention  of   Saratoga,    Oct. 

17,   1777. 

Monmouth,  June  28,  1778. 
Stony  Point,  July  16,  1779. 
Bonhomme  Richard  vs.  Serapis, 

Sept.  23,  1779. 
Assault  on   Savannah,   Oct.  9, 

1779. 

Camden,  Aug.  16,  1780. 
King's  Mountain,  Oct.   7,   1780. 
The  Cowpens,  Jan.  17,  1781. 
Guilford    Court    House,    Mar. 

15,    1781. 

Lynnhaven  Bay,  Sept.  5,  1781. 
Eutaw  Springs,  Sept.  8,  1781. 
Surrender  of  Cornwallis,  Oct. 

19,   1781. 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Revolutionary  War,   end  of 206 

Revolver,   first  patent  granted..  35 

Reynolds,  John   F 142 

Rhode  Island,  State  of.  .  .20,  57,  324 

Ridgeway,  Ont 119 

Rifles,  muzzle-loading   183 

Riley,  Tames  Whitcomb 257 

"Rip  Van  Winkle" 28 

Robinson,  William 280 

Rochambeau,    Comte    de     (Jean 

Baptiste      Donatien      de      Vi- 

meure)     272,  273 

Rockefeller,  John  D 5 

Rockefeller,    William    5 

"Rock  of  Chickamauga,"   The..  236 

Rogers,  John 161 

Roman  Catholic,  first  mass 58 

Roosevelt,  Isaac 56 

Roosevelt,  Theodore,  280,  44,  64, 

133,    150,    182,   213,   222,   232, 

281,  345 

Rosecrans,  William  S 1,  246 

Ross,  "Betsy"   1,  123 

Ross,  George 1,  123,  162 

Ross,    Robert    162,227 

Rotch,  Captain    328 

"Rough  Riders"   150 

Rubber  fabrics,  patent  granted.  .  126 

Ruggles,   John    163 

"Rum,  Romanism  and  Rebellion"  17 

Rumsey,   James    199 

Rush,    Benjamin    76,  162 

Russell,   Jonathan    343 

Russo-Japanese     War 213 

Rutledge,  John 4 

Ryswick  (Holland)   treaty  of...  283 


Sackville  West  affair 279 

St.  Augustine,  Fla 200,  214 

St.    Clair,    Arthur 250 

St.  Clement's  Island 58 

St.  Ildefonso,  treaty  of 245 

St.    Leger,    Barry 181,  249 

Saintsbury,  George    112 

Saint-Simon,    Marquis    de 275 

Sampson,  W.  T 154 

Sanders,  George  N 170 

Sands,  Comfort    56 

San    Francisco,    earthquake    and 

fire    77 

San  Jacinto,  battle  of 82 

San  Jacinto,    u.   S.   warship....   290 

San  Juan,  battle   of 149 

San  Salvador,  discovery  of 265 

Santa  Anna,  Antonio  Lopez  de, 
33,  78,  82,  194,  215,  225,  231 
Santa    Maria,    Columbus's    flag 
ship  260,  264,  265 

Santangel,  Louis  de 263 

Santiago  de  Cuba 149,  170 

Santiago,  naval  battle  of 152 

Saratoga,  campaign   249 

Saratoga,  the  Convention  of 255 

Sargasso    Sea    266 

Savage's  Station,  battle  of 137 

Savannah,  assault  upon 258 

Savannah,     first     steamship     to 

cross    Atlantic     107 

Scarborough,  William 107 

Schley,   Winfield  S 154 

Schofield,    John    McAllister....   313 


School,   Public   Latin   of   Boston 

founded    

Schrank,   John    

Schuyler,  Philip   

Schwab,  Michael    

Science,     American     Ass'n     for 

Advancement   of    

Scott,   Dred    

Scott,    Winfield,    56,    193,    194, 

225,  231,  304 

"Secession"     

Seicheprey,  France,  battle  of.  . . 

Selden,   George   B 

Seminole  War 52,   319, 

Semmes,  Raphael 

Seven  Pines,  battle  of 

Seven   Years'    War 

Sevier,  John    

Seward,   William   H 76, 

Sewing  machine,  patents  granted, 

184,  220 

Seymour,   Horatio    

Shafter,  William  R 135,  149, 

Sharp,  Alexander,  Jr 

Shay's  Rebellion 

Shelby,  Isaac 

Shenandoah,  commerce  destroyer 
Sheridan,  Philip  Henry,  45,  63, 

68,  276 

"Sheridan's  Ride"   

Sherman,    Roger    

Sherman,  William  Tecumseh,  21, 

84,  206,  294,  306,  332 

Shiloh,   battle   of 

Sholes,  C.  Latham 135, 

Shonts,  Theodore  P 

Sickles,  Daniel  E 143, 

Silver,   demonetization    of 

"Silver  Question"    

Simpson,  Hannah 

Singer,    Isaac    M 

Sioux  Indian  War 

Sirius,  steamship    

Skelton,  Martha 

Skinner,   J.    S 

Slavery   abolished   in   D.    C 

Slavery,   American   Anti-Society 

organized   

Slavery,  Emancipation    

Slavery,  first  anti-society 

Sleeping  car,  first,  patent  issued. 

Slidell,  John    

Slocum,  H.  W 

Small,   Elisha    

Smith,    Captain    John,    2,     101, 

285,  336. 

Smith,  E.  Kirby 

Smith,  Francis   

Smith,  Horace    

Smith,  Hyrum 

Smith,  James    

Smith,  John 

Smith,  Joseph    138, 

Smith,   Samuel    

Smithsonian   Institute,   founding 

of     

Smithson,   James    

Soldiers     Home,     Nat'l,     estab 
lished  at   Washington 

Sons  of  Liberty,  organization  of, 

285 

Soule,  Pierre  

Soule,  Samuel  W 


82 
281 
250 

96 

236 
46 


237 
81 
232 
344 
132 
112 
326 
256 
238 


87 
155 
154 

13 
256 

67 


45 
158 


65 
315 

64 
145 

25 
167 

84 
184 

87 

83 

72 
228 

77 

318 
240 
76 
317 
290 
143 
315 


108 
79 
183 
138 
162 
285 
237 
227 

184 
184 

42 


269 
135 


INDEX 


South  Carolina,   State  of... 247,  332 

South   Dakota,   State   of 134,  287 

Spain    and    the    United    States, 

Treaty  of  Peace 322 

Spain,  war  declared  against....      77 

Spanish  flag  in  Kansas 244 

Speedwell,  Pilgrim's  ship 336 

Spencer,    Philip    315 

Spies,  August 95 

Spoils,  "to  the  victors  belong".  .      52 
Spottsylvania  Court  House,  bat 
tle  of  98 

Stamp  Act ...46,  56,  287 

Standard  Oil  Company,  The,   5, 
232 

Standard  Time 50,  248,  295 

Standish,   Myles    308,  340 

Stanton,   Edwin  M 76,  199,  238 

Stanton,  Elizabeth  Cady 171 

Starke,    John    252 

Star  of  the  West,  steamship,  4, 

82 
"Star-Spangled  Banner,"  "The"  225 

"State   Rights" 14,  54 

Steamboat,  first  on  Great  Lakes.   214 

Steamboat,  first  successful 187 

Steam  engines,  cut  off  and  valve, 

patent   granted 49 

Steam   ferry,   first   in   world   es 
tablished 259 

Steamship,     first     Atlantic     dis 
aster    .-'-. ...-.'. 244 

Steamship,  first  to  cross  Atlantic     S3 
Steel  Armor  Plate,  Harvey  Pro 
cess   '...... 5 

Steel,  Bessemer  "Converter"...      14 
Steel   Corporation,   U.    S.   incor 
porated  in  N.  J 29 

Steers,  George . ,  . .    195. 

Stephens,  Alexander 21 

Stephenson,  John 312 

Steuben,  Baron  von . . ;   275 

Stevens,  John . .  199,  259 

Stevens,  John  C. 195 

Stevenson,    Marmaduke 280 

Stevens,    Robert    L.  . :.   258 

Stevens,  Thaddeus 33 

Stevens,  Uriah  S. 203 

Stewart,    Alvan    278 

Stillwater,  battle  of. 235 

Stoneman,  George 106 

"Stone    Wall,   Jackson    standing 

like  a" .". 174 

Stone,  William  J 66" 

Stony  Point,  battle  of .  . 169 

"Stourbridge  Lion,"  The 182 

Stowe,  Calvin  Ellis 122 

Stowe,  Harriet  Beecher 122, '118 

Street  railway,  first  in  America.  312 
Strike,  Labor,  at  Homestead,  Pa.  194 
Strike  of  railway  workingmen.  .  165 

Stuart,  John   214 

StUyvesant,  Peter 101,  215 

Submarine,  first  crossed  Atlantic   166 

Submarine,  Holland  No.  9 53 

Submarine  war 58 

Subway,    opening    of    first    New 

York    282 

Sumner,  Charles 41 

Surratt,  Mary  E 76,  165 

Surrender  of  Cornwallis 270 

Surrender  of  Manila 185 

Surrender  of  Santiago 170 


Sussex,  steamship,  sunk 57 

Sykes,  George 143 


Taft,  William  H.,  231,  56,   133, 

281,  345 
Talleyrand-Perigord,  Prince    ...      34 

Taney,  Roger  Brooke 46,  228 

Tappan,  Lewis 318 

Tariff,  first  protective  act 162 

Tarleton,  Banastre 10 

Taylor,    George    162 

Taylor,  Henry  C 154 

Taylor,  Zachary,  304,  32,  42,  59, 

98,  99,  115,  237.  242 
"Tear  her  tattered  ensign  down"   193 
Tecumseh,  Indian  chief,  22,  217, 

247,  290 

Telegraph,     electro-magnetic,    2, 
87,  107 

Telegraph,  wireless 177,  232 

Telephone,    first   message   across 

Atlantic  ocean 278 

Telephone,    first   message    across 

continent 244 

Telephone,   long  distance 21,  270 

Telephone,  wireless,  patent  grant 
ed  185 

Telfair,  Edward . .        4 

Tennessee,   Confederate  warship  180 

Tennessee,  State  of 113 

Tennessee,  University  of ...     26 

Territory,    first    outside    original 

thirteen  states 168 

Terry,  Alfred  H 7 

Texas,   State  of,   19,  39,  60,  69, 
278,  292,  346 

Texas,  U.  S.  warship 154,  157 

Thames  River,  battle  of ....   247 

"Thanatopsis"   288 

Thanksgiving  Day   ...'..;., 307 

Thomas,  George  Henry,  236,  294, 
306,  324 

Thomas,   Philip   Evan 36 

Thompson,  Alexander  R 344 

Thompson,  Charles  . . 209 

Thompson  massacre 344 

Thornton,    Matthew    162 

Thornton,  Seth  B 83 

Thurber,  Charles   200 

Ticonderoga,  Fort 100,  177,  250 

Tilden,  Samuel  Jones.. 22,  247 

Tileson,  Thomas 259 

Tilley,  Edward 340 

Tilley,  John :... .    340 

Timby,  Theodore  Ruggles 236 

Time,    Daylight-saving    61 

Tippecanoe,  battle  of ......  .  '289 

Titanic,  steamship  sunk. 76 

Todd,  Mary 24 

Tomlinson,  Ralph 230 

Toral,  Gen 154,   170 

"Townshend  Acts" 139,  327 

Townshend,  Charles 327 

"Trade  Dollar" .- 25 

Trade  Unionism 204 

T-rail,  first  use  of  by  railroad.  . .   258 

Train,  George  Francis 317 

Travis,  William 46 

Treasury  of  U.   S.   Government, 

organized 203 

Trenches  in  war,  first. 127 


xiii 


INDEX 


Trent  affair 290 

Trenton,  battle  of 30,  343 

Trenton,  U.  S.  warship 53 

Triana,  Rodrigo   259 

Tribune.   New   York 19 

Tripoli,  war  with 73 

Trolley,  electric  system  patented  10 

Trott,  George    285 

Trumbull,  Jonathan 266 

Tucker,  W.  H.. 241 

Turrets,  revolving,  patent  grant- 

Tuscania,  steamship,  torpedoed.  20 

Tyler,  John 60,  39 

Typewriter,  first  successful 135 

Typewriter,  Pterotype 315 

Typewriter,  Remington 136 

Typewriter,  Thurber 199 


"IJncle  Sam,"  origin  of  name..   266 

"Uncle  Tom's  Cabin" 118,  122 

"Unconditional    and    immediate 

surrender"   27 

Uniforms  of  soldiers 121 

Union  Pacific  Railway 317 

United  States  Bank 52,  63 

United  States  Senate 198 

Universal    Postal    Union,    estab 
lishment  of 247 

University,  first  state 14 

Usher,  Nathaniel  R 155 

Utah,  State  of 2,  176 

Utrecht,  treaty  of 69 


Vail,  Alfred 2 

Valandigham,  Clement  TL,aird. ..  103 

Valencia,  Gen 193 

Valley  Forge 30 

Valparaiso  (Chile)  affair 268 

Van   Buren,   Martin 318,  22,  279 

Vandalia,  U.  S.  warship 53 

Vanderbilt,  Cornelius   108 

Van  Dorn,  Earl 246 

Van  Wert,  Isaac 241 

Vardeman,  James  K 66 

Varilla,  P.  Bunau 295 

"Venezuelan  Message" 331 

Vera  Cruz,  bombardment  of.  ...  56 

Vera  Cruz,  capture  of 82 

Vermont,  State  of 42,  125,  324 

Vermont,  University  of 26 

Verplank,  Gulian 56 

Versailles,  treaty  of 206 

Vice-President,     resignation     of 

the  office 344 

Vicksburg,  surrender  of 86,  163 

Victoria,  Queen   197 

Villa,  Pancho 47 

Vincennes,   capture   of 33 

Virginia,    "Ordinance    of    Seces 
sion"   77 

Virginia,  State  of 177,  207,  256 

Virginius   (steamship)  affair....  285 

Vixen,  U.  S.  warship 154 


Waddington,  Joshua    56 

Wanner,  Webster 317 

Wainwright,  Richard 154 

"Wakefield" 29 

Walker,  Asa   91 


Walker,  William 223 

Wallace,  John  F 64 

Wallace,  Lew 65 

Walter,  T.  U 199 

War  against  Austria-Hungary.  .  320 

War  Department  organized 182 

Warner,  John  L 230 

War  of  1812,  Battles: 

Surrender  of  Detroit,  Aug.  6, 

1812. 
Constitution      vs.      Guerriere, 

Aug.    19,    1812. 
Chesapeake  vs.  Shannon,  June 

1,    1813. 
Enterprise  vs.  Boxer,  Sept.  5, 

1813. 

Lake  Erie,  Sept.  10,  1813. 
Thames  River,  Oct.  5,  1813. 
Lundy's  Lane,  July  25,  1814. 
Lake     Champlain,     Sept.      11, 

1814. 
New  Orleans,  Jan.  8,  1815. 

War  of  1812,  causes 135 

War  of  the  Austrian  Succession  269 

Warren,  Joseph   78 

Warren,  Richard   340 

War  with  Spain,  Battles: 

Manila  Bay,  May  1,  1898. 

San  Juan,  July  1,  1898. 

El  Caney,  July  1,  1898. 

Naval  Battle  of  Santiago,  July 
3,    1898. 

Surrender    of    Santiago,    July 
17,   1898. 

Surrender    of    Manilla,    Aug. 

13,    1898. 

War  with  Spain,  Protocol  signed  185 
Washington,    George,    29,    1,    3, 

42,  64,  88,  102,  109,  121,  123, 

138,    200,   209,   221,   234,    246, 

267,  272,   276,  282,  284,   309, 

318,   320,   324,  343 

Washington,  John 29 

Washington's    farewell    address, 

30,  233 

Washington,    State  of 134,  291 

Watson,   Thomas   E 176 

Watt,  Boulton  H 189 

Wayne,  Anthony 169 

Weather  Bureau,  established  by 

Congress 22 

Webster,  Daniel 10,  14 

Weems,  Macon  S 29 

"We    have   met   the   enemy    and 

they  ar^  ours" 220 

Wesson,  Daniel  B 183 

Westinghouse,  George 74 

West  Point 53,  241 

West,  Sackville 279 

West  Virginia,  State  of 132 

"Whaleback"   Steamship  Charles 

W.  Wetmore 121 

Wheaton,  W.    R 241 

Wheeler,  Joseph 149 

Whig  Party 165 

Whiskey,  manufacture  ceased.  . .   214 

White,  Andrew 58 

"White  House,"  cornerstone  laid  267 

White,  John 192 

White  Oak  Swamp,  battle  of 137 

White,  Peregrine   302 


INDEX 


White  Plains,  battle  of 30,  282 

"Whites  of  their  eyes" 130 

White,  Susanna 101 

Whiting,  Gen 8 

Whitman,  Marcus 312 

Whitman  massacre  , 312 

Whitman,  Walt Ill 

Whitney,  Eli 50 

Whittier,  John  G 118,  318 

Wilderness,  battle  of  the 96 

Wildes,  Frank 91 

Wilkes,  Charles 290 

Willes,  Henry 285 

William  and  Mary  College 72 

Williams,  David 241 

Williams,  James   256 

Williams,  Mary  Ann 84 

Williams,  Roger 20 

Williams,    William    162 

Willing,  Thomas   35,  159,  161 

Wills,  David   297 

Wilmot,  David 183 

"Wilmot  Proviso"   182 

Wilson,  Allen  Benjamin 185 

Wilson,  Henry   107 

Wilson,  James 26 

Wilson,  James  H 101,  117 

Wilson,  Samuel 266 

Wilson's  Creek,  battle  of 184 

Wilson,   Woodrow,   344,    13,    19, 

42,  58,  68,   94,   132,  232,  234, 

281,  311,  321 
Winslow,  Edward,  101,  308,  335, 

339,  340 

Winslow,  John  A 132 

Winthrop,  John 214 

Wireless    telegraph,    first    signal 

across  Atlantic 322 


Wireless  telegraphy,  first  use  of.      42 

Wirt,  William 52,  223,  243 

Wisconsin,  State  of 109 

Wise,  Henry  A 310 

Wisner,    Henry    . .  .- 161 

"Witchcraft,"  Salem 192 

Wolfe,  James 176,  224 

Woman's       Rights       convention, 

first 170 

Woman  suffrage 171,  288,  289 

Women,  right  to  hold  office 121 

Wood,  Leonard 150 

Wood,  P 91 

Woodruff,  Theodore  T 317 

Woodworth,  Samuel 6 

Worden,  John  L 48 

Workingmen,  first  national  con 
vention   107 

Worth,  William  Jenkins 215 

Wounded  Knee,  battle  of 345 

Wright,  Horatio  G 277 

Wright,  Wilbur 97 

Wright,  Willard 332 

Wyeth,  Nathaniel 49 

Wyoming,  Pa.,  massacre 151,  291 

Wyoming,  State  of 121,   166 

Yacht  America,  winning  cup...  194 

Yale  College,  charter  granted...  257 

Yale,  Elihu 257 

Yates,  Richard 85 

Yellow  fever  epidemic  in  United 

States    303 

York,  Duke  of 215,  268 

Yorktown,    surrender   at 270 

Yorktowr.,  U.  S.  warship 268 

Young,  Brigham 176 

Young,  Lucien 155 


OVERDUE- 


387972 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


